


Whiff of Amber

by littleberd



Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Alpha Blinky, Alpha Draal, Alpha Steve Palchuk, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Beta Barbara Lake, Beta Toby, F/F, Jim's soulmate seed is a bit different, M/M, Omega Aaarrrggh, Omega Claire Nunez, Omega Jim Lake Jr., Scents & Smells, and when they share their first kiss a tattoo of the flower forms over their heart, but blockers tend to get in the way of that, humans are born with a seed inside their heart, secret heritage, trolls smell their mate, when they confess their feelings it blossoms, when they've met their soulmate and spend time with them their plant grows, which will come to light later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2018-10-16 17:29:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10576062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleberd/pseuds/littleberd
Summary: I'm Jim "James" Lake Jr. and I have a lot on my plate to deal with. First there's high school, which is a normal problem for any normal teenager. Then there's my long time crush on the unattainable omega Claire. The reason why she's unattainable is a problem that I'll get to in a second. Problem numero tres is the freaky one. Apparently a magical amulet I heard whispering my name like a creeper in a pile of rubble chose me to become the Troll Hunter... so Trolls exist... some of them are friendly and like to eat VHS Tapes and others are mucho grande mal. One such evil troll is after me. Lastly I'm 15 years old and I'm still unpresented. Which, no biggy, my Mom is a busy Doctor that gets a discount on blockers. Although she doesn't approve of me spraying myself down with alpha pheromones she lets me do it anyway because she tends to Omega and Beta teens wound's everyday. But that's not even the worst of it. Apparently I can't get rid of the stupid amulet unless I die and the son of the last Troll Hunter has it out for me for "stealing" what is rightfully his. Don't really blame the guy, really. Dude's dad just died and I come out of nowhere and I'm a weak human that can barely stand a punch from a pacifist troll.





	1. Fathers

**Author's Note:**

> I will keep this brief but WHY ISN'T THERE MORE DRAAL/JIM HERE?!?!?!!? THEIR INTERACTIONS ARE AWESOME!!! and boy am I having fun writing this~  
> on a sad note... I'm sorry for the loss of Anton Yelchin. I'm going to miss him a lot. I'm worried about who will replace him for season two but my hopes are still high for it. I just hope that they can take up the mantle of Jim Lake Jr. and continue on in Anton's memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be following the main story line throughout this fic, some episodes will be skipped but will still be referenced as they happened... However, there will be some major changes to the story later on.

My alarm clock's beeps jolt me awake at 6 o'clock A.M. I pull the scooter magazine off of my face with a sigh and rub my eyes into focus.

_Ok today's to-do list..._  
1\. Take my blockers and spray on some alpha pheromones.  
2\. Dust the living room.  
3\. Change the light bulb in the kitchen that went out last night.  
4\. Make my own breakfast, toast will do.  
5\. Print out a new french toast recipe to cook Mom.  
6\. Whip up my signature meatloaf with a little dash of something new for the three mouths I feed at lunch time.  
7\. Make Mom breakfast, that new recipe sounds too good to pass up.  
8\. Clean up the Kitchen.  
9\. Take her her breakfast. 

I get this done in two hours flat, flipping my chef knife with a flourish and throwing it at the knife block. It goes into it's designated hole with the ease of experience from having practiced doing that for three months straight. Grabbing the tray of breakfast I walk up stairs and walk to her room. There's a note that's basically taken up permanent residence on her door "Late night at work, sleeping in - Mom"

A sad smile that's just as permanent as the little note spreads across my face like the butter I had eaten on my toast. I open the door and spot my mom slumbering in her nest of blankets. Her caramel slightly red hair is still in a bun for work, but it's a mess and has more than a dozen strands in disarray. Her face is pale excepting the dark bags under her closed eyes barely ever being touched by the sun with her long night shifts and the clinic's poor scheduling, the only light she ever sees constantly are the fluorescent lights in the clinic. Her glasses are skewed on her face, smooshing into her shallow cheek along with the pillow. The skin on her fingers is dry and cracked in places, having to wash and germ-x her hands constantly if she isn't wearing latex gloves. Her limbs are thin, as is the rest of her, a tall and lithe Beta, her physique is something I've inherited from her, no matter how much I feed her she's still skin and bones. She's so fragile and nobody else seems to see it but they never saw the aftermath of _that man_.

My father came to me on my 5th birthday with parts for a father son project, a scooter I could eventually ride on. But not even five minutes after he gives this promise of future contact, of future bonding moments, of him BEING in my future... he tells my mother that he's getting a divorce because he found his soulmate. Apparently they had been seeing each other for months, they had been trying to decide when the best time would be to confess and skedaddle. "Quick and Painless. Like pulling off a band-aid."

What a load of bullshit.

He and his new girlfriend basically did the emotional equivalent of a hit and run in a semi-truck and my mom was the innocent bystander taking an unfortunate evening stroll. They didn't slow down, didn't stop when they hit her, and after they sent her tired body flying they drove off into the sunset with a bloody bumper and a trashed windshield. Metaphorically of course. She had given her all in this family of three. She didn't care that they hadn't been soulmates, she thought he hadn't cared either, he said so repeatedly. But apparently he was lying about that for at least half a year.

He never came back. And even if he had come back there wouldn't be any father son bonding. I threw everything he had gotten me that day into the dumpster right in front of his face as they got into his new Mercedes to drive into their new future together. A future that left mom with an even lower self-esteem and me gingerly picking up the pieces of my mother and taping her back together with my kindergarten fingers. There were some pieces I missed, some pieces out of place. But she was still beautiful, she's still my mom, and she's still _trying_ to get better.

I softly put the tray down. I crouch to her level and gently take off her glasses, I spotted a smudge and quietly clean them off, setting them on the night stand beside the tray of food. She tosses in her sleep, grumbling about an I.V. or some random medical term and pink elephants. I tug her blanket up, my mom was a restless sleeper and moved around resting as much as she did at night at work. I look down at her tired beautiful face and tenderly kiss her forehead in goodbye and rub her head under my chin to rub her scent on me. 

"Love you Mom."

*********

"It's me or the sun. Either way you're doomed." Bular laughs with his gravelly voice.

Kanjigar the courageous is cornered under the bridge by bular. He knows he won't make it out of this fight. He lost his key, the sun is out, and the enemy can easily follow him wherever he may go. This was the end of his time as Troll Hunter. _I must not let him gain what he desires._

Mind made up he stands on his own, shoving off of the pillar he had once used for support and stood tall, "No. The amulet will find a champion. We will stop you and your master. I may end, but the fight will not." With one last grin of triumph he backs into the sunlight breathing in one final breath as his skin turns to stone.

_Farewell my son. May you find your mate and never be chosen by this accursed amulet._

His stone body hits the concrete, shattering upon impact. His body will not be presented in the training hall of the Troll Hunters.

The amulet glows subtly from under the dead stone of it's latest champion.

Bular remains unaware that Draal, Kanjigar the couragous's son had seen his father's sacrifice from a door he had opened against his father's wishes. He closed it right after bular left and sat and weeped over the loss of his father for a good many hours.

When sunset reached his father's remains he ran and reverently sifted through his father's crumbled stone. But the amulet was gone and the smell of a stinky adult human alpha had desecrated his father's fallen form. All was lost.

Two other trolls had also secretly watched the battle. But they had remained after to watch over the amulet and had seen a mysterious child was called to it. A mysterious _HUMAN_ child who's scent smelled heavily of clinical ADULT alpha pheromones. The first question that came to mind between the two trolls was why the amulet chose a _HUMAN_. But another question also went unsaid between them. They knew he was masking his scent, no teenager would exude that much alpha pheromone. So why was he hiding behind so much of the stinky stuff?


	2. Effects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> X'D YOU GUYS R AWAY SOME!!! I love comments BTW they help me update faster and keep my motivation for a fic up.

I grab my back pack and my helmet. I pick up the scooter magazine in longing, and look at the only ride I currently have. My old blue bike rests against the side of the garage mocking me in the dusty light a window lets in. Sighing I open the garage and step outside with my _sweet ride_ in tow.

My day instantly turns bad, the trashcan outside had been raided, it's contents strewn out all over the driveway, I groan in vexation, "Raccoons!"

I pick up the trash as much as I can, a chunky beta with red hair and the stomach to eat a lot more than the lunches I give him puts on his helmet with a click. This is Tobias Domzalski, otherwise known as Toby and holder of the title "Best Friend". 

"We're late for school Jimbo" he remarks, still waiting for me to clean up after the vermin. Toby had presented as a Beta at the beginning of freshman year, he was a bit upset not to be an alpha but that disappointed was quickly remedied when I revealed that I hadn't actually presented yet. I've always been more nervous than most about secondary genders. I've always felt I wanted to be an alpha but most times I lean toward Beta characteristics. Toby likes to half joke that with all my mothering I'll eventually present as an omega. Which, ew, gross no. Who the hell would _WANT_ to present as an omega? Female omegas are hard to come by as it is, male omegas are a genetic rarity. Both don't tend to be treated right when they get into a relationship, half the time they're treated little above property. And if they aren't mated to their soulmate... Their soulflower will wilt and they'll actually die.

"Sorry Tobes, I was busy with lunches." I remark, slamming the metal lid down a little more harshly than I should. Toby's mouth visibly waters at the very mention of food. I reach into my backpack, "One for me. One for Mom. And ..." I pull out a nondescript brown paper bag.

Toby snatches it before I can finish my sentence, "Aaaah..." He opens the bag and inhales the fresh scent of meatloaf, "balsamic mushrooms, meatloaf, chunky, sun-dried tomatoes..."

I pass by with a smirk, "And cardamom."

"OOh! Taking a chance there, Chef Jim." Toby remarks happily.

"What's life without a little adventure?" I retort, sitting down on my bike. 

Toby inhales one last time before shoving it at my chest, "I can't eat this. I'm on a diet."

"You've been on a diet for the last 14 years, Tobes." I shoot back, pushing it back at him, pedaling on my bike and putting some distance between us so he can't shove it back at my _face_ this time.

"I know." He replies, turning his nose up at the bag like it's personally insulted him.

"You're 15." I deadpan.

"Long term goals." Toby defends, getting on his bike and reluctantly putting the lunch in his backpack, "My body's still changing."

I swerve down the hill, Toby pedaling fiercely to keep from falling behind. I can hear the squeaking from his bike as we race down.

"I'm right...I'm right... I'm right behind!" Toby exclaims in little huffs.

I risk a glance at my wrist watch, knowing what it'll say even before I see it, "It's 8:00!"

Toby huffs in despair, "We're going to get suspended, on account of meatloaf!"

I know one way that won't happen but Toby isn't gonna like it, "Take the canal, Tobes! It'll save us five minutes!" I shout last minute, turning hard onto the dirt road that leads to the shortcut.

In shock he turns and groans in distress, the bumps make him stutter, "N-nnn-o-ot ...t-the... ca-annn-nna-AAAAAal!"

"Oh live a little!" I shout over my shoulder.

My bike is air-born on the next hill, I skid but keep pedaling and manage to stay upright.

"It's living that I'm worried about!" He yells frantically, I just know the Beta in him is whining at the thought of danger.

"Come on, Tobes! Don't you ever want a little more excitement?" I laugh, trying to keep that newly presented side of him out of the way of having fun.

He laughs with no humor, "NO!"

I see the edge of the ravine and pick up speed, gunning it and feeling the air race by me, I let go of the handlebars and for just a moment I fool myself into believing I'm flying. But I grasp the handlebars and brake once my tires hit cement. I turn to face where Toby should be appearing any minute. I'm ready to rush after him if he manages to get hurt going down the steep incline of the canal.

"Come on Tobes!" I yell encouragement.

_James...Lake_

I whip around. _Did someone just say my name?_

I look where I think the voice came from and see a pile of stones under the bridge. Toby pants at the top of the incline and hesitantly rides down. He doesn't even touch the pedals and the bike goes 3/4th's the way up the other side before he comes back down backwards. Toby screams but there's a tug in my chest towards the pile of rubble. It's like how an iron shaving is drawn to a magnet. I drop my bike, Toby over compensates, doing a wheelie, and falls on his face, he isn't hurt but he lets out a small out of breath "Hah" from the ground, "How awesome are we? AWESOOOOOOOME!"

I don't know why but I don't go to help Toby up like I would have normally, instead I'm walking toward the rocks, I drop my bike helmet and manage to fight the insistant itch in my throat demanding I stay quiet, I manage out a hoarse whisper, "Hey! Hey, Tobes." 

He rushes over, seeing the absence of fawning and searches for injuries from the mother hen of mother hens, "Did you hear that voice?"

Toby raises an eyebrow and looks as weirded out as I feel right now, "What voice?"

_James...Lake_

We both jumps back, it even startles a yelp out of Toby as we fall on our asses.

"That!" I yell, getting up and scrambling towards the rocks that magically have the ability to talk, "That pile of rocks knows my name!"

Toby shakes his head in bewilderment, "That's a pile of K-spar. Minerals don't talk."

He crawls forward in denial, "There's got to be a walkie-talkie in here or something."

I sift through the rocks and spot a light blue glow from under a chunk of it, I lift it up and see something altogether strange. I don't know it now, but this thing is going to start me one the biggest adventure of my life.

"Huh," I lift up the ancient silver glowing blue amulet, it looks like a cross between a pocket watch, a compass, and a star map, I hesitantly test out the noun I've chosen for the weird object, "It looks like an amulet."

Toby still hasn't given up on his conspiracy theory, "Who's doing this? Come out now!"

I look at the amulet. _Maybe it's a super expensive communicator or something?_ , "Hello. I'm listening." 

Toby catches on pretty quickly, we both put our ears closer and closer to it- _ **RING!**_

We both scream and I clutch the amulet even tighter in fright, realization hits me in the gut while my heart beat never slows, "Final Bell!"

We book it for our bikes, Toby groans, "We're so late, our kids are going to have detention!"

"Come one Come on Tobes! We can still make it!" I yell, pumping my legs as hard as I can up the incline, making my calves and thighs burn from exertion.

"I'm right behind!" Toby responds as always, quickly becoming out of breath.

Eight pairs of eyes watch my ascent up the incline from a sewer grate, I didn't see them then but I do meet their owners tonight.

************

"The Peloponnesian War was actually three wars, " Mr. Strickler orates, circling the map with his favorite pen as he addresses his class, "fought between Athens and Sparta. The First war is known as the Archimidian War. Type that into your search engines. A-R-C-H-I-M-I-D-I-A-N." 

He could've said asshole war and I wouldn't have noticed, all I had eyes for in this class was Claire Nunez. Her pretty dark hair with the rainbow of hair clips, her deep chocolate eyes, her happy face... I can't even smell her omega hormones yet but I can still smell her soft sweet perfume from here. I don't even glare at Toby when he waves his hand in front of my face repeatedly.

"Really?" Toby sighs, my only reply is a lazy blink of one eye after another, reluctant to even do that and stop myself from feasting my eyes on the angel that's fallen from heaven and sitting elegantly in her classroom seat.

"Close your mouth~ you're drooling." Toby mimes the action.

I grit my teeth and whisper back, "No. No I'm not." This time it's a little bit more in spite that I don't look away. Until I hear Toby typing furiously on his keyboard. Curiosity always could win out over anything and everything else, "What are you doing?"

"Researching." He snips back, now it's my turn to receive the cold-shoulder apparently.

"Hey, look up "Talking Amulet"." I mumble, my chin still resting heavily on my hand.

"I already did that. All I got was toys. One of them was a plushie." Toby grumbles in agitation, pointing out the said plushie on his screen, complete with sound effects.

"Jim." my shoulders scrunch up painfully at the sudden call of my name, I almost release a sigh of relief until I realize who really _has_ called my name, "would you agree?"

I whirl around and cringe, "Sir?"

"With Herodotus' opinion, on his tactics of war, as I've described." Mr. Strickler explains, disappoint evident in his eyes.

"Absolutely." I stutter, Toby turns away, clicking his extra, not school assignment, tabs closed and whistles his innocence.

"Excellent. Which tactics? Specifically." Strickler pushes, eyeing his pupil in a questioning manner.

"The uuh.... winning ones?" I try looking him full in the face. He knows I don't know but my clever saves are one of the reasons why he likes me. Witt is something he thinks my generation is severely lacking, and considering Steve Palchuk is a part of that... I sadly can't blame him. The bell rings, saving me from some embarrassment.

"All right, all right don't forget Michealson, chapters 4 and 5." He yells at the class as we're dismissed, I start to pack up, "Jim, may I have a word?"

I try and put in my last book while looking at him but I only manage to drop my book and knock over my backpack, spilling everything in it onto the floor.

We both bend down and he helps me pick some notebooks up, "Jim, you're distracted. You fell asleep between the Invasion of Attica and the Peace of Nicias, and your attention wandered for the rest of class."

"Sorry. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." the well used excuse falling from my lips before I can even think of a better one, one that doesn't involve my mother's work schedule.

"I know it's just you and your mother and you want to help her." He replies. I know where this is going and I really don't want to go down this road.

"She's just really tired, Mr. Strickler. She's been working double shifts at the clinic again." I mumble, the taste of these words is sour. I hate admitting that her late hours worry me and I can't even rest my head on my pillow until I hear the door open and close when she gets home.

"I believe I'm overdue for a conversation with her." He answers, already writing his number on a piece of paper, he hands it to me with the expectations only something like this could have. "Have her call me please."

"uhh-"

"And feel free to drop by my office if you ever need to talk." He soothes, looking down at me with warm eyes. I know Mr. Strickland is an alpha, and I really don't want any guys near my mom. But if I had to pick an alpha that had to it would be Mr. Strickland, the guy's got the charms to go with his accent and language. I couldn't imagine him being anything but a complete gentleman around her... but something always feels slightly off when I'm around him. Like he's constantly sniffing and eyeing me, which I know he wouldn't be so impolite to do. For pete's sake the guy drinks his tea with his pinky up.

"Yeah, I'll, I'll do that." I stammer, I pick up my backpack and heft it over my shoulder.

"Oh, and Jim?" He calls me back, "If you fancy Miss Nunez... I submit that _talking to_ will be much more effective than _staring at_." He playfully bops me on the head with the last textbook I needed. I turn and walk away, giving him one last nod in thanks.

************

P.E. sucks, and we're doing the rope climb today. Roby is straining to pul himself up on the rope as he does every time. "Hang on. Almost there. So close. So close!" He pants.

"Come on, Tobes. You've got this." I yell encouragement, he still manages to grunt out another, "So close!"

Our hanz and franz impersonator coach walks over and sees that Toby hasn't gotten a foot off the ground, and screeches,"What is that on my rope?"

Toby groans, now not only is he downing himself but he's got a full grown alpha berating him for his baby fat that he has been trying to lose for years.

"Every student here should be able to climb this rope and ring that bell." He yells, pointing at the said metal object far above their heads, he shows off his muscular arm to give an example, "I want all of you to be made of iron. Iron!"

Toby tries, he really does, his face is turning red from the effort but it's not doing squat to make him rise up that stupid rope. The coach yells at him but even he has some sincerity, "You have got to be kidding me. I don't know what I feel more sorry for. You or the rope."

A collective of girly laughter draws my eyes to the bleachers, and there is Claire sitting in the very center of the group of beta females. She's practically glowing. _You can do this Jim. Come on, you wanted adventure right? Well here's your ticket, she could be your soulmate dummy. You won't know until you confess so stop being a sissy._ I breath in deeply, close my eyes and take a step of faith.

They're still giggling at Toby, his arms are wiggling like jello from exertion, and his face is almost as red as his hair.

"Buenas noches." _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! She can speak fluent Spanish but you can't idiot. What did I even say? I think I said good evening right? Wait! It's not past noon! I'm such an idiot!_ I internally scream in horror.

"You speak Spanish?" The goddess speaks, _she sounds like she knows I don't, like I've made a mistake. She KNOWS!!!! GAAAAAH! Why is it so Hard to TALK to HER!? Mr. Strickler! You lied to me!!! This is effective alright. EFFECTIVE AT EMBARRASSING MYSELF!!_ < "*cough* Um... uh, I..." _STOP STUTTERING YOU FOOL!!! YOU'RE JUST MAKING IT WORSE!!_

"Come on, Claire." Darci Scott, a girl I have algebra with third period, says, taking pity on my poor communication skills with females... period.

The bell rings and the entourage gets up to leave. _Now or Never sissy-boy! Come on, you can do this!_ I open my mouth to try and stall her from leaving but she beats me to it.

"Do you like Shakespeare?" She asks, head tilted adorably, her bun and hair-clipped bangs sifting to the side and outlining her heart shaped face.

Which draws forth the most sophisticated answer to that question I can come up with "What?"... While my brain is overloading. _She asked me a question? She's talking to me after that epic clumsy fail of small talk?_

"Do you like Shakespeare?" She repeats, my brain doesn't even register her words, still short circuiting over the fact Claire _Mi Amor_ Nunez just spoke to me.

"Shakespeare?" I repeat numbly, I'm pretty sure everything wasn't pink before with hearts and sparkles and jazz music.

"The school play." She still tries, I blink rapidly trying to dis-spell the cupid shades I'm apparently wearing that coat everything around me in a rose-tinted haze. She continues explaining the reason behind bringing it up probably hoping I'll get out of my brain-dead stupor and get a legitimate response out of me other than droo-nope I never drool, I was not drooling,"We're having trouble getting boys to audition."

"Uh..." And then it clicks, "Oh!" _So she was trying to recruit me for the play..._ The bell rings again and my angel disappears like a dreak, I murmur a farewell that I think means until next time, "Hasta huevo." Or eggs...

Coach Lawrence is poking at Toby's fat, my poor Beta friend is hanging upside down on the rope and being held up by one leg still tangled with the rope, "It's like a flabby Pinata, and I'm pretty sure you're filled with candy!"

Toby makes one final attempt with a grunt, "So close!" But falls back down on the mat with his chest heaving.

***************

"You talked to her?" Toby gasps, stopping his attempt to put his sock on his foot. His pudge keeps getting in the way from success as he grudgingly says it does.

"Yep." I grin back, my heart is still fluttering and I know it's not manly but still. Claire Nunez is my dream girl, has been since preschool when she forfeited her beads during arts and crafts so I could make my mom a big necklace. I ended up putting so many on their the necklace hung to my mother's knees. Toby hasn't given up on that sock yet, still grunting and trying with all his might.

"Like, actually spoke to her? Not just, you know, in your head?" Toby tries to confirm, he finally manages to catch his big toe with the sock but his tugging has him tipping over the bench, slamming his head into the row of lockers behind him, and sends the sock onto his face like a slingshot.

"I unleashed my Español on her." I reply, both cringing and patting myself on the back for my, probably not, smooth moves. I open my backpack and see the mysterious amulet again. With little to no hesitation I take it out. My hands moving before my mind catches up with my own limbs.

"Oh, no. You should totally do it." He exclaims from the ground, startling me out of my examination of the stupid contraption resting in my palm.

"What?" I ask. _Why do I keep feeling dazed? I mean, sure around Claire that's completely natural but this thing is sneakily controlling my body._

__

__

"The play?" I catch on, I stand up and close my stinky locker. I've sprayed febreeze, air freshener, lysol, you name it but it still retains the odor of gross sweat from past Alpha's who've used it.

"I'm not an actor." I state, putting my foot down on the small part of me that says I should. _What? So I can embarrass myself in front of an audience of my peers as I stutter and trip over myself every time I see Claire? HAH! I can't even be in the same room with her without turning on my goo-goo puppy love vision. Constantly being exposed would be heaven and hell wrapped in a clumsy bundle of teenage hormones, I'd rather not expose myself anymore to that than I already do thank you._

"Come on. You're always saying how you want your life to be more exciting. Right?" Toby counters, slipping from the bench once again and getting a second lumb on the back of his head from the metal lockers. I regret lamenting to Toby. He's practically my personal mind-reader and knows just what to say to make my claims null and void or just be a general irritant when it comes to things I don't want to do.

"I don't think Romeo and Juliet is exactly the answer, Tobes. I don't mean just, you know, exciting." I try and back up my claim. _I know I'm a mess but I am NOT doing the play._ "I mean...more. I just need to know that there's something more to life than high school." I look at the amulet, little did I know the old saying "Be careful what you wish for" had very real, and very life-threatening, legitimate connotations for me.

Toby groans, that poor sock has been stretched so far it looks more like pantyhose than a sock.

 _ **BANG**_ I look to where the clatter from the lockers had come from, only seeing a swift shadow move away from out of the light and my line of sight. I squitn in suspicion. _What was that?_

"Something more?" Toby yells out of breath and beat red as I start to walk towards the shower room, the only place it could have gone with this being the last aisle of lockers.

The area is steamy and water is still running but it doesn't sound disturbed. It smells a little like fresh cut grass and sewage in the shower room, no surprise since the janitors rarely tread in here to clean anyway but it's not the usual alpha pheromones, it's something... stronger, more edgy I don't know, maybe Coach Lawrence used the showers again. _Somebody must have left it on... but why run away like that?_ My body always seems to be doing things my brains yells at it not to do. _Curiosity killed the cat after all but I've got to be that dumb-ass alley cat that goes into the yard with the dog in it._ "Hello? Anybody in there? Hello?" Nobody answers and all I can see is the faintly blue steam in the bad lighting.

"Got one!"

I gasp in surprise. _Damnit Toby! My Mom's a doctor but she can't save me from having a heart attack when she's not here. One stressful situation per day is my limit! AND IT'S GONE OVER THE SAFETY LEVEL MARK!_

I walk out, not noticing the same eight pair of eyes watching me from within the mist, up higher than any human's head would naturally be.

******************

"Whoo-hoo! Finally! Success, success. So, good news, dude. My orthodontist says I'm almost done with my braces.Only four more years." Toby remarks happily as we walk our bikes away from the bike rack.

Obnoxious laughter interrupts our small talk, I look towards it with a scowl. It deepens when I see Eli being shoved in a locker by Steve _Upchuck_ and his alpha jock cronies.

"Okay. Nothing to see here." Toby whines, trying to get out of the bullies line of sight. I know he's a Beta and he naturally can't go against an Alpha if ordered, Steve and his bundle of jerks have done that before to us. It's the main reason why I put on the Alpha Pheromones, it's "OFF!" for Alpha bastards that get a high off of being dominant.

"We can't just let him do that." I whisper, my stomach is curdling just at the thought of poor Eli. The kid is like me. He's unpresented but he doesn't hide it, he can't afford to hide it. My Mom gave his Dad a job as a janitor at the clinic and last I heard his mom works as a Dominos Pizza delivery driver. I got lucky with my connections, Eli didn't. He's a lot braver than I'll ever be from just walking out the door every weekday morning with a naked scent and a smile. He doesn't deserve this treatment.

"Oh, yes, we can. If Psycho Steve's terrorizing him, he's not terrorizing us. Jim? Jim! Oh, no."

My feet are moving without my consent, this day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

"Tell me again, Bloomless. Tell me about the creatures and maybe I'll let you out!" Steve jeers. My lips curl at the slur. Back in the day when Omega's had no rights and were basically sex-slaves those who hadn't presented were said to have a dud seed. It's been proven that everyone has a heart seed that will grow indefinitely on the inside. It was proven by a scientist we had just gone over in science class not three days ago. It's growth is just more obvious in someone who has presented because their pheromones change minutely. But since unpresented don't have pheromones the difference between a dormant seed and a growing one can't be sensed.

"Or you can let him out right now. I mean, you know, it would be nice." I interject through gritted teeth.

"Nice would be you minding your own business." Steve growls, a pungent burst of pheromones pouring out of him in waves. It makes my nose sting from the acidity.

I almost walk away to puke but a quiet, calm, innocent voice comes from the locker, "Oh, hi, Jim." I bite my lip in guilt. _How can he be use to this? Buck up and stop him Jim, your Mom would be bending you over her knee and spanking you right now for not standing up for someone like you. He would be you without your mother. You would want someone to rescue you too._

"So, where were we? Um Oh, yeah, okay. You were telling me about the monsters you saw this morning, with fangs and," Steve snaps his fingers like he's trying to call a dog's attention to him... there isn't much of a difference between a dog's I.Q. and his own, "What was it, again?"

"Stone for skin! In the canal!" Eli chirps happily from his metal cage. _Does he mean the same canal I found this talking amulet in? Did I just sift my hands through a corpse? No, no no. Eli probably mistook whatever creature he thought he saw for a statue. The kid is always out looking for aliens and The Moth man. Maybe he even accidentally knocked it over and that's what that pile of rocks was. But how could that scrawny kid knock over that much rock? Was the amulet with it? Is this Eli's? Or was it_ Inside _the statue?_

"Stone for skin? Man, Eli, you've got some imagination." Steve chuckles rudely, obviously not believing a word Eli said and having a good laugh at the scrawny teen's expense.

 _The guy might have answers, hell, he might even know who this thing belongs to, it might even be his. Man up and talk up Jimbo._ I rest my bike against a pillar, "Look, Steve, seriously, just let him out."

Steve practically rolls his eyes, staring me down like I'm a Beta stepping on his toes. The one plus to being an unpresented is that I won't fold under someone with a stronger scent, an Alpha can overpower another Alpha just by having a stronger pair of scent glands turning them into a submitting blubbering fool on the floor, but to me it might smell raunchy but the most it'll do is make me retch on the stench. Otherwise? The intimidation B.S. doesn't work on me. Which is the real reason behind the whole hate on unpresenteds "Or you'll do what?"

He notices the flood of pheromones isn't working on me so what does an Alpha Brute do when slamming someone with their godawful scent doesn't make them fall to their knees and worship the ground they walk on? Use force, it's one of the only real advantages they have over the other classes. Alphas dominate, that's their schtik. So mother nature being the mean green jerk face it always has been, gifted them with the more muscular physique to beat someone up that disagrees with them. He's lifted me up by the strap of my backpack and has me on my tippy-toes trying to stay in contact with the ground.

My mom has a formula for shutting Alphas who've gotten too uppity down. Mention their brute strength being worthless in the future and point out that those who they mistreat now tend to be their bosses later on in life. I almost grin but I hold it back, "Okay, do it. Punch me."

High Schoolers all around gasp at me, Steve's laughter chokes him for a moment, "You-you're asking for a beating?" He questions, confusion written all over his stupid face.

"Yeah. Just go crazy." I say, a smirk edging it's way onto my face before I ca restrain it again, "But in 20 years, you're gonna be fat and bald and you'll be working in a muffler shop, and Eli will have a career in software and he'll be a billionaire."

"I do like computers." Eli chimes in.

Toby finally shakes off the shadow Beta instincts typically sway loyalty with and starts chanting, "Let him out. Let him out! Let him out! Let him out!" Soon enough all the kids around us are saying it too. Steve looks around in confusion, when the classes pyramid is flipped it tends to scramble Alpha brains, giving them a similar kind of side-effect Claire gives me. When his two goons mysteriously vanish into the crowd it finally hits him that he's out numbered in this battle.

"Palchuk, what's going on here?" Couch Lawrence yells from the gymnasium door.

"Uh, nothing, sir." Steve yells nervously back, pushing me away like I'm a scalding iron.

The couch scents the air, smelling the telltale pheromones of a challenging Alpha, his eyes also make note of the circle of students around us, "Why aren't you at practice?"

I'll give him some credit, the bully's good at hiding his tracks. He opens the cramped locker Eli's been trapped in all this time, "I was helping Eli, here."

"Hey, guys!" Eli waves from his seat on some smooshed english textbooks

"He was stuck." Steve explains, glaring at me with the promise of a future beating.

Lawrence doesn't buy it, not by a long shot but everyone knows that the football team is hopeless without the punk Alpha. And with the upcoming game if they lose then budget cuts will be made to the athletic department. Lawrence growls under his breath but just yells out a gruff, "On the double! Now!"

Steve stares daggers at me, slams the locker shut just as Eli was going to climb out, and makes the universal _I'll be watching you_ hand gesture. "Friday, at noon. You and me. Tick-tock. Tick." He sneers, making a wag of his finger into a sort of weird pendulum. _This guy is just weird._

Eli knocks on locker door hesitantly and I gently open it only to have the poor guy fall on the floor in a tangle of limbs as he screams. "Thank you." He groans from the cement, a pencil rolls out from his prison cell and cruelly falls onto his head.

******************

The whole way home Toby was pumped about the latest jarring fiasco today has brought, "That was awesome, man. Did you see how I did that chant? 'Let him out. Let him out.' " He laughs at his own ingenuity and the an almost joking but solemn atmosphere seems to take over my usually cheerful buddy, "I mean, you probably won't live past Friday, but it was awesome." _Thanks for the vote of confidence Toby._

_**HONK!!** _

"Good thing your mom's a doctor." Toby soothes, my Mom pulls up in her car headed off for her shift.

"Hey, boys." She greets, rolling down the window and peering at us from the driver seat.

"Hey, Mom." I reply back, her eye luggage is looking lighter in color and size, she'll always be pale but she's not as sallow as she was when I left this morning, her hair is properly up in a bun and she's dawned her makeup. Still as pretty as I've always known.

"Looking sharp, Dr. Lake." Toby compliments, he may be a Beta but he never passes up hitting on females even when it's his best friend's Mother. It's all in jest at this stage though, he had a long-time crush on her til around the year he turned nine and finally realized if he ever _DID_ get with my mother, which Won't, Would, and Will NEVER happen, he would be my step-father. Yuck. 

"Thank you, Toby. So are you." My mom compliments back, a wink ensuring she meant it as such.

Toby's green eyes practically shimmer in excitement. "Oh! Does it show?" He asks, raising up an arm to try and find nonexistent muscle beneath the flab of his arm.

"You're going to be out all night?" I guess when I see the blanket and pillow in the backseat. Mom has mandatory breaks for two hours every time she pulls a double-shift at the clinic so she makes the most of it and tries to catch some shut eye in the car or the lounge since her break would be over by the time she got home, our house is too far away for her to properly take an actual break. 

She sighs heavily, her broken schedule showing in her slender shoulders. "Dr.Gilberg is out with bursitis, and Dr. Lenz has a wedding out of town this weekend." She states, there's always an excuse from somebody in the clinic and mom picks up the slack where nobody else does. They take advantage of her, one of these days I'm going to lock her door and watch the clinic burn down around those lazy asses who took Barbara Lake for granted and don't give her her due.

My stomach growls and then I'm reminded of something that tends to slip her mind when I don't remind her "Okay, well, don't forget to bring your -"

"Dinner." She says, grinning proudly at the fact she didn't have to turn the car around like last time to go and grab it, "Thank you."

"Right." I whisper, "And try to find an oven to reheat it in instead of nuking. It takes all of the flavor and nutrients away." I chastise. I adjust my bike and hear the crackle of paper in my pocket. _Mr. Strickler's number..._

My mom chuckles, a far away wistful expression crosses her face, "Jim, there must be a million things you'd rather be doing than looking after me."

 _Mr. Strickler can wait, he'll understand. Mom's busy right now and she really doesn't need to be bothered with my stupid love-struck gazing._ "Can't think of one."

Mom grins, leans out of the car and kisses me on the cheek, "Love you, honey."

"Bye, Mom." But she doesn't hear me, having already rolled up her window and driving down the street to her hellish workplace.

"You mother your mother a lot." Toby teases, sidling next to me on his bike and bumping against my shoulder.

"Ha!" sarcasm dripping, with a yawn I pedal to my house yelling at him when he makes to his driveway three houses down, "See you tomorrow, Tobes."

He takes off his helmet and yells back, "Hey, and by the way, don't use mayo on the sandwich. It's the wrong note." Wagging a finger at me like I've committed culinary blasphemy.

*********************

I walk into the house, turn on the T.V., toss my bag onto the couch and sit on the arm facing away from the screen. _Steve Palchuk is going to turn me into a red smear on the football field. Mom is going to cry and sue and then break into the millions of pieces I managed to fit back together. And I won't be able to pick them back up again if that jerk manages to murder me._

The Amulet softly glows in my backpack, I reach in and grab it. _Ever since I picked this thing up my life has been turned upside down damn it. What? Nothing to say once you've caused your havoc?_

A commercial for an expensive kitchen swiss army knife comes on I barely hear the droned out voice as I study the amulet, tapping it along it's sides and trying to read the garble of symbols along it's edge. "Do you ever wish you could find something that would make your life easier? The ability to do the amazing? Well, look no further because Food Magic is here. That's right, Food Magic."

 _ **I am Gun Robot.Pick up your phone.**_ I shake my head at Toby's ringtone and pick up the phone,"Hey, Tobes."

" _Did it talk again? Did it do anything interesting?_ " _Toby never beats around the bush with these kinds of things._

"Nope." I admonish, tossing it into the air and catching it a few times before gazing at it's back

" _Toby Pie! Dinner!_ " I cringe at his Grandmother's high pitched yelling over the phone, _I think my ears are bleeding._

" _In a minute, Nana! I've got to go. Text me if it does anything cool._ " and he hangs up without even a _hasta huevos_. 

The advertisement bleeds back into my attention as I scrutinize the gadget that's got us both puzzled, " _setting the table, setting the china-"_

With reluctance I start talking to it, "Um Hi. How you doing? I'm Jim. But then, you knew that because you spoke my name, which is weird. Hello? Anybody in there?" I hit my forehead with a nice loud thwap, face-palming hard enough to leave an angry throbbing red mark there, "And now, I'm talking to an inanimate object."

I stare it down before I give into the urge. "Come on! Talk again, or you are going up on eBay." I threaten.

There's a sudden loud crash from downstairs making me jump in a pantomime of a scared cat, and then I groan, "Raccoons!"

I go into the kitchen and of course they have to be nesting in the basement. Mom never goes down there and I don't go down because the place gives me the creeps. _Why down there? Why'd they have to choose the only creepy spot in the house to set up camp?_

I see something scuttled away from the furnace leaving a mess of hot coals on the ground, yet another mess I've got to clean up from these menaces.

I turn on the light and grab the broom I've been looking for for a while. I look around and scream. " Great." I murmur, looking at the mirror me with a scowl, I've officially managed to scare myself, "What next? My own shadow?"

The light bulb behind me goes out and there's that skittering again. I do NOT squeal like a girl. It's a very manly scream I assure you. I brandish the end of my broom towards the darkness but nothing appears to move, I sigh in relief, happy I didn't get mauled in the face by a raccoon. Later on I'll wish it had just been a rowdy family of raccoons skipping rent on their little home in the basement.

" **Master Jim!** " My scream starts out manly but I will admit my voice breaks when I see just what had called me. There in front of me is a tall blue, four armed, six-eyed, horned creature with it's arms wide open. _WHAT THE F*#$ IS THAT!?!_ I fall to the ground and back away in fright and knock my head against the giant metal support beam.

The creature is right in my face again, "MASTER JIM!!!"

"Master Jim!" The smaller one exclaims again, I scream again in terror and I jolt away only to hit my head against the stupid metal spicket. _WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS!?!_ "We have found you!"

The one with an extra set of arms moves forward like he's going to grab me and I skitter to my left bumping into a wall, I look up in confusion... It's not a wall. "I am known as Blinky." I tilt my head up only to see a giant maw, green shaggy hair, and two large green eyes. I scream again, voice cracking even more. _Hey I can get away with that, I'm still going through puberty after all._

"Hi." It waves down at me with a pair of mitts the size of powerwheels. I scream again, getting up and almost run into the other one, they've got me cornered from both sides. "It's Aaarrrgghh. Three Rs." The bigger one grumbles. Turns out I'm between two creatures and a hot place, I realize this as my hand touches the furnace. I scream and groan at the pain bubbling up on my palm that is definitely going to blister.

They both come in closer, and I practically do the salsa not to touch either of them, letting out squeaks as I come near to touching both of them. I give up, going into the tornado drill position and just shake. _Can't breath, What ARE THOSE THINGS!!?? Wait? Can't breath?!?_

The both huddle around me, and peer at me from above, "Hmm. He says 'AAAAAAAH!' a lot."

"It's more of a yelp, I believe. A greeting, perhaps." I look up only to have the one that has overalls on open his putrid fang filled mouth and scream in my face making ME scream again and my throat is hurting and I can't breath. _CAN'T BREATH!_ I try and bolt when I see an opening but the big one with the gruff voice nabs me, holding me upside down by my feet. I instantly cover my face, not daring to look at them.

"Master Jim, you have been chosen." _FOR DINNER!?!? WHY COULDN'T IT JUST BE RACCOONS!?! WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE MAN-EATING MONSTERS!?!_

"Hmm. Blinky, he looks scared." The almost gentle brute swings me just a bit and makes me yelp as my ankle twinges in pain.

"Uh, Aaarrrgghh, my good fellow, would you mind?" 'Blinky' asks, waving his hands around as he addresses me with a flick of his wrist. "This is a moment of some solemnity."

"Hmm? Solembily?" The-Aaarrrggh mumurs, trying out the word, holding me close and sniffing me.

Blinky sighs stating the definition for the guy, "It means serious and dignified."

"Hmm. 'Dig-oo-nified.' " Aaarrrggh mutters, drawing out the vowels as a toddler might do with a big word sounding it out.

As they seem to have forgotten me I stammer out a request without thinking, "P-P-Put me down, please?" I uncover my eyes to see Blinky point to the ground how you would a dog with a small stuffed animal, or human in this case, when they're not suppose to have it.

"Oh." Aaarrrggh finally catches on, spins me upright, sets me on my feet, and gives a rough "pat, pat" to my head as if I'm the pet, me squealing and squaking from being man-handled, creature?-handeled?.

"Thank you. Now, where was I? " Blinky tries to remember, holding his upper hands in a steeple position, ruminating in his thoughts.

"Uh, "Master Jim... found you..." Aaarrrggh supplies.

"Yes. Thank you." Blinky smiles, practically all shiny menacing teeth.

I back up into Aaarrrggh and try getting away by going left but the gigantic boulder of a creature blocks me with his trash can size hands, of course me being a spastic scaredy cat right now I bump into that hand, " **AAAAAH!** " and then the other one as I try to go right, " **AAAAAAAAAH!** " At this point my voice is wrecked.

"Master Jim, you have been chosen. The Amulet of Daylight challenges you to ascend to the most sacred of offices." Blinky exclaims, throwing his arms wide in a grande gesture. _They're going to eat me... how will they cook me? on a spit over the furnace? Barbecue style? Are they going to smush me into a paste and make me into meatloaf? Or are they just going to eat me raw... alive?_

"Orifices? What orifices?" Aaarrrggh asks, _Can't breath can't breath. But the big guy does know some big words after all._

"Offices. It means responsibility." Blinky answers calmly, with the patience of a kindergarten teacher correcting a child with a lisp. He turns back to me and I gulp for air, "Unbeknownst to your kind, there is a secret world, a vast civilization of trolls lurking beneath your very feet, hidden from view." 

"Tro-Tr-Trolls?" I stammer, trying to breath again but failing miserably, my body going tingly and numb.

"Trolls. Yes, trolls. And it is now your charge to protect them." He demands, pointing at me, damning me to a position I'll only realize later maybe the worst thing that's ever happened to me, "For you, Master Jim, are the Trollhunter."

I yelp at the title, still utterly confused in my hyperventilating, oxygen deprived head.

"Trollhunter. This honor is yours to accept." Blinky comes closer and his rancid breath washes over me as I finally manage to take a breath in, "So, what say you?"

I moan as my vision goes black from lack of air filling my lungs.

"Is that a yes?" I hear Aaarrrggh asking as my consciousness fades.

*********************

When Blinkous and Aaarrrggh came into Troll Market they weren't talking loudly or laughing as they usually did. Draal remembers his Father's extreme distrust of the larger gumgum turned good troll Omega.

It was one of the many things he and his father disagreed on. But his father hadn't been there the day Aaarrrggh accidentally stepped on a gnome. He wept over the smudge on the ground for hours.

There were other such incidences around troll market with the gnomes and Aaarrrggh. But his father only came home when he was called to help or in the training hall doing what the place was made for.

After his Father was slain it became his duty to inform everyone of his demise, strangely Blinkous and Aaarrrggh were no where to be found. He had actually went out of his way to find the multi-limbed troll, hoping for some words of wisdom having shared in a loss because of Bular. Draal examines their faces once more, determination courses through his veins as he goes to stand and broach the subject.

But as he stands he catches a whiff of something on Aaarrrggh, an alpha odor against Aaarrrggh's omega scent doesn't smell right. It's not an alpha troll... _Is that-_ Draal knows better than to question his own nose. _That's the same fleshbag alpha that took the amulet of daylight!_ He stops in his steps for a moment, a jarring realization seizes him. _If they met the fleshbag then they should've gotten the amulet from them... Even if Aaarrrggh has sworn off violence and Blinkous is more of a scholar than a warrior, they could've easily scared the human and taken it from them._

__

__

"He is scared Blinky... He's so small and squishy, " Aaarrrggh whispers, cradling his mug of mead as if it it the person he is speaking of.

"I don't understand why the amulet chose him Aaarrrggh. It has never chosen... One of _their_ kind before." Blinky whispers fervently, his hand grips the handle a bit harder than would be advised.

Draal wonders at that. _So the amulet has chosen someone, that's why they didn't get it. But it chose someone else... Not me... What kind of troll hasn't been chosen before? Even a gumgum turned good has had the honor of becoming the Trollhunter." Not a very good choice as his death, not even two weeks into training, by Bular's sinister claws would suggest._

__

__

_So who has it chosen?_ Curiosity flushes out his more depressing emotions as he tastes failure and rejection more fierce than any blow his father could have given him when he was alive.

"Blinky..." Aaarrrggh looks at his friend across the table, the gentle giant bites his lip as if he has a confession to make, "He had a Beta friend that smelled like he was my-"

Blinky shushes him before he can finish his sentence, " Aaarrrggh, I'm not going to cat fur coat this. Master Jim will probably die within the next three or four days. At most, a week. You know we cannot show ourselves to them without reason. And if he were to find out about the amulet he would blame us for his friend's death. You do not deserve heartbreak Aaarrrggh. Not again."

_What does he mean by that? The only thing we're not allowed to speak with... Is small... And Blinkous would be puzzled about. MERLIN DON'T TELL ME THE CHAMPION IS A CHANGELING!_

"Blinky... " Aaarrrggh looks at Blinkous with the biggest sappiest green eyes he can muster, looking like a whelp that wants more food.

Blinkous stops gripping his mug but stares down at it's content sloshing around in it, "I hate losing people Aaarrrggh. First family, then friends. All Trollhunters have a gruesome end Aaarrrggh. There's no stopping that. But the boy isn't even a troll!"

Draal's eyes are as wide as dinner plates, fiery golden orbs wide in shock, mouth hanging open. A gnome tries to make itself at home but Draal spits it out and it runs away cackling at the look of disgust now presented on Draal's face.

" Train him. Please?" Aaarrrggh insists, pushing a big curled fist at Blinkous' arm.

Blinkous sighs, but grips his friends hand hard, as if he too will crumble into stone if he were to let go, "One last time. Once this one dies I will have no more dealings with training TrollHunters."

Draal stumbles away in search of a place he may find that others will not interrupt his thoughts with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder for his loss.


	3. A small chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while but I assure you guys I am still working on this and will continue to do so! I'm super pumped after seeing season 2 and I can't wait ro finally drag my ass out of writersblock!

Sunlight from the one small window in here blinds me as I scream awake clutching my shirt in a gnarled grip. I look around for the monst- _trolls_ that had apparently not eaten me, I check though. _Two arms and two legs, all my toes and fingers, no missing facial features..._

A memory from when Toby had a nightmare once, after he had had surgery to remove his appendix, where aliens took his- I raise an eyebrow at my crotch, _aliens, trolls... Same thing at this point._ Hesitantly I undo my pants button and zipper and peek into my underwear. _Ok all my equipment is still mine... Phew. Better safe than sorry._

My late-wakeup alarm goes off on my phone, I hurriedly take it out and shut the annoying buzzer off. But then I glance by the furnace and see a perfectly preserved footprint made from coal dust. I immediately dial the first phone number that registers in my head. I mutter under my breath " Pick up, pick up" while it beeps.

 **CLICK** "Hey, Jim-"

"Tobes, it's me! You're never going to believe what happened last night." I exclaim throwing my hand up in the air and starting to pace off my terror, "I am freaking out here! Seriously freaking. I need to talk to somebody-"

"Chillax." Toby tries to calm me down, I can practically hear the beta in him whimpering from my distress, "What's going on?"

I take a deep breath and try to start at the beginning, "Okay, last night, I heard something in my basement. I thought it was raccoons, but then-"

"Yeah, hang on a second," I hear Toby scream and a weird whirring sound from the other end. I stare worriedly at the phone _What the heck is going on!?!_ , "Sorry, Jim. I'll have to call you back. AAAAAAH! No, not that one!" **CLICK**

"He just- DAMNIT Toby!" And then it hits me, Toby had mentioned he had a dentist appointment scheduled soon like three weeks ago, I sigh tiredly into my hand and deposit my phone in my right pocket.

Something crinkles in there and I pull out Mr. Strickler's phone number. _OK... The guy's an alpha, and may have a thing for my mom buuuut... He did say if I ever needed to talk..._

*************************

Orchestral battle music floats through the air as I knock my knuckles against Mr. Strickler's open office door.

The very Alpha looks up from his desk, hard eyes softening when they see who has entered, "Ah, hello, Jim. What can I do for you?"

"Um, do you have a minute?" I ask, clutching my backpack strap in nervousness, having been jittery all day waiting to talk to him. I barely drool-*cough* watched over the omega angel that sat just a few seats away from me during class. My mind was troubled with other... _things_ the most normal of them being my best pal having surgery in his mouth... Again.

"Are you all right? You look peaked" He caps his pen and casually picks the needle from his antique record player. The kind Alpha gestures to the chair by the window and sits down in the seat typically meant for a student. "-Here, sit."

I exhale, _You can do this Jim. Just breath. Mr. Strickler is like the most understanding teacher and alpha I've ever known. He'll understand... Right?_ "Okay. I don't really know how to say this, but last night, something incredible happened. Actually," I raise my hand and sit down onto the seat, gently placing my backpack on the ground, "unbelievable. Completely unbelievable."

Then it hits me. _I'm going to sound completely nuts if I just... Come out and say monsters were in my house. Crap!_ "As in, you won't believe me, but I'm telling you it's true. I promise you it's true." _Which is something only a complete basket case would start with!_

Mr. Strickler raises an eyebrow, clearly questioning my frantic gesturing and reassurance, "All right. Just calm down. I'll believe you."

With dawning horror I come to the very real outcome. _He won't believe me._ But I stammer out anyway, "Uh, okay. Last night, two, um, _**things**_ showed up at my house."

"Things?" The eyebrow travels farther north from the question.

"uuu-You know, _things_. Guys! But uh really weird." I choke out, "One had these eyes, and the other one was huge and hairy. And they said that they were tro-" _Shit_

"Tro?" I didn't think that eyebrow could go any higher but apparently it wasn't content with so low a perch.

"Tr- ...trainers! Trainers, who want to train me in ch-uh" my eyes search for something to latch onto, some saving grace idea, when they stop on the knight piece on a checkerboard." chess." I chuckle sheepishly, picking the little miracle up in my hand, mentally patting myself on the back for the quick save.

The Alpha's eyebrow scrunches back down, joining it's more down to Earth twin in mild confusion, steepling his fingers in thought, "And why would that have you so perturbed?"

"They really weird-ed me out." I chuckle nervously as I struggle to keep a small, fake smile on my face, glancing out the window in avoidance.

Outside some alpha jocks are slaughtering the other kids in soccer, and of course the one leading the cruel assault on the pathetic bodies of nonathletic Beta's and frail Omegas is none other than Steve "Upchuck" himself. Being his usual bully-self he spots me in the window with his genetically superior eyesight and makes that stupid "Tick-tock. Tick-tock." motion with his finger at me. Like my stomach wasn't knotted up enough why not add his heavy-handed, meaty, monkey's paw.

"Now, I think I know what has you so distraught, Jim." Mr. Strickler gets up from his seat and gently rests his hand on my shoulder.

"You do?" I ask incredulously, eyeing him from the tilt of my head. _This is it. He's going to report this to my mother and I'm officially going to be put in the insane asylum._

His smile widens as he looks down at me. The alpha held nothing but comfort and understanding in his gaze,"It's like I told you yesterday, you have a lot on your shoulders. Too much, in my opinion, for someone your age. And I think this opportunity-" he deftly plucks the white knight from my hand.

"Chess?" I raise an eyebrow.

He nods in affirmation, placing it down on the chessboard and tumbling the king from it's corner stronghold, "I think it's causing you anxiety. I know you want to be there for your mother, but it's as a great poet once wrote, 'Do what's good for you, or you're not good for anybody.' "

The bell for next period interrupts my next thought but I express it anyway, "Hey, thanks for the advice. I like talking to you." _And if I'm completely honest, you're practically the only male role model I have. Pretty sad right?_

"Always." He chuckles, fond smile sending me off with a paternal twinkle in his green eyes and a soft pat on my shoulder.

I'm not sure if it was just my imagination or not, but as I sling my backpack over my shoulder and slip out of his door I swear I smelled something that made my tongue curl, like it had touched a rather tart lemon.

***************************

As I methodically slice tomatoes, placing the toppings on the three sandwiches I'm preparing for Mom, Tobes, and me for tomorrow, somebody's dog is going crazy. It's owner comes out a few seconds later and "Parker" stops barking like a maniac. I clean the knife and throw it with practiced easy, it slides into it's empty slot with a dull **thunk** just as it had the day before and the day before that and so on. Just a normal night preparing for tomorrow as I always have, a simple and enjoyable domestic task.

The faint blue glow from my backpack on the couch lures me in. I warily pick the amulet up and walk out the backdoor. The wind is picking up a dark clouds soon loom ominously near the edges of the woods a distance away. I take out the amulet and the hands and cogs start moving, runes around the rim are glowing and shifting, stopping only when it spells out a phrase in English.

I squint at the creepy weird gadget, half-tempted to toss it and go back inside for a movie marathon. But instead I mumble out the phrase in question as if I myself were not murmuring. " _For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command._ "

The amulet glows an ethereal blue, a small ghostly whisp of light leaves the amulet and floats to my chest. My heart feels warm, like my skin on a sunny day in July, comfortable, tender... Precious and fragile. And suddenly my feet are no longer touching the ground. I look at the distant ground and feel a sharp crack as the amulet rams against my chest above my heart.

The amulet is spinning like mad and small pieces are unfolding into giant blue glinting silver armor, enveloping me in a warm over sized cocoon. Once all the pieces have emerged I'm lowered gracefully to the ground... A tiny sardine of an unpresented boy inside a giant tin can of armor holding the handle of a blade big enough to be used for one of the Titanic's propellers.

I huff in relief when the amulet is apparently done with it's crazy magical transformation... All too soon. The armor starts shrinking and I'm nearly hyperventilating at the idea that I'm about to be squeezed into paste when it stops at a comfortably snug fit. The sword shortens and lightens.

I bite my lip at the sheer shine of the blade in my hands. _It won't hurt if I test it out with a few swings right?_ I swing wide right, the air slicing with an audible _shing_ from such a slow arc in the air. I raise it high, marveling as the sunset gleams INTO the metal of the blade and the light blends into a vibrant cool blue rather than the warm colors of dusk.

Caught in the captivating light show it slips my mind that this is a SWORD. A very SHARP and relatively unusual weight. I underbalance and soon its dragging me down as it descends to the ground behind me. Thankfully it doesn't do more than scratch against the iridescent armor, before solidly slicing into one of the many boulders scattered in my backyard.

I tug at it but it doesn't seem to want to budge an inch. The armor floats off of me and quickly folds back into the amulet with a fantastical swirling swoosh. The sword gone, an empty perfectly shaped slot is residing in the boulder. My eyes are bulging from such an awesome transformation, at the sheer possibilities of this magical amulet. "This is. SO! _FREAKING_! _**COOL!**_ "

**********Under_the_Bridge**********

Strickler gets out of his car and approaches the pile of remains under the bridge. The headlights of his still running car casting his shadow into a long and spindly silhouette. Two plans of action see fit to have a game of tug-a-war in his mind at the realization that the amulet is gone.

A hulking figure rises behind the alpha, the dark imprint engulfs Strickler's tall form in darkness, utterly dwarfing the alpha in size, an inhuman snarl matching the wrath of it's glowing red eyes. Strickler doesn't even turn around, instead he turns his nose up at the broken stone corpse of the latest felled trollhunter, "It's been taken. You failed. You let it go. Your father will be displeased."

A roar echoes through the open air, bouncing off of the bridge's supports and causing the very metal to vibrate. The sound is something that would have the hairs on the back of any normal human's neck standing on end. But Strickler merely scoffs in a disdainful and disgusted manner. The malevolent giant growls out at the 6ft. 6" man, spittle flying and catching in fox grey hair. "Whoever holds the Amulet of Merlin, I shall destroy him, just as I have done with every single one of them."

"Worry not, you brute. I know where to find it.", Strickler soothes, hands reaching into the pocket of his suit and pulling out a handkerchief to dab at the liquid drops on the back of his head. "I believe the amulet has found its champion."

Ordinary green eyes glow yellow as the moon overhead, with far more intelligence and knowledge than any human in his 40's has any right of wielding.


	4. Friends

I snap my phone shut in aggravation. After I get home from school.

 _He's there AGAIN? Screw it!_ I put on my helmet and bike to a certain building that's become the bane of a certain Beta's existence.

Trudging past the help desk. I look for the name of his dentist on the door plaques that I pass, once I find it the dentist assistant's warning goes through one ear and right out the other, "Don't go in there, he's with a patient!" 

I swing the door open and see him laid back on the dentist chair that's practically been molded for him from his constant visits, "Tobes!"

"Hey, Jim." He greets as nonchalantly as he can with a thick finger hooking his mouth open.

*********Eight hours later~*******

"Eight hours! I can't believe it takes eight hours." I grouse, still shaking my head at the sheer amount of time I had spent sitting there just so I could talk to him without some tool or finger or cotton swab gargling his words.

Tobes holds up fingers as he lists what kind of construction he's had done to his motormouth city, "Two molars, plus insertions, and some cleanup."

I wave his explanation off and shake the amulet at him instead, "Okay, Tobes. You are never going to believe this."

Instead of paying attention to the magical awesome armor giving artifact... Tobes is raiding the freezer, "My mouth still feels a little sore."

"Check this out." I try again, the box he had gotten out and pressed to his slightly red cheeks turns out to be pizza... Tobes ends up tossing it into the microwave and nuking it. _Patience Jim, you've waited two days, a few minutes isn't going to kill you. Just let him stuff his face with an unhealthy, grease drenched slice and then his attention will be solely on you._

I tap my foot impatiently as I watch him being entranced by the siren call of party pizza. The microwave dings and he plays hot potato with a slice for a second. I open my mouth"-Do you have any aspirin?" My eye twitches in anger.

"Tobes, pay attention!" I growl through my gritted teeth.

He finally takes a bite and cheese drips onto the linoleum tiles beneath the slice, "Mmm." I fight the urge to roll my eyes at my best friend.

I hold the amulet out in expectation as I recite, "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to-"

He swallows and interrupts me mid incantation, "Go on." I love Toby to death, but his gold fish level attention span is making me want to actually murder him right now.

"It worked last night." I grunt, my eyes narrowing at the amulet in confusion.

"Are you punking me right now?" He raises an eyebrow, humor filling his green eyes with mischief.

"I don't get it! It worked fine yesterday..." I grumble. _Let's try it one more time to prove you're not crazy. And if it doesn't work... I'll walk myself to the nearest therapist._

I breathe in, and breath out. That familiar warmth spreads through my chest. " **For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is Mine to Command.**

And just as before I'm floating, but the armor and sword's sizes seem to have remained the same size as myself. When I look back at Tobes I can't hide my smug grin. His bottom jaw has hit the floor... _and_ so has his pizza, unfortunately. _It's just a small mess I'll clean-up in a second._

With a growing smirk I swing the sword around like I've seen so many movie characters have. "You Okay Tobes?" My words break his silent spell rather abruptly, the floodgates open.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Holy champignon! Oh-ho-ho-ho! How cool is that? What? Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! So cool, so cool, so cool! Dude, you know what this means, right? You have a sacred responsibility here." He leers, I've got a funny feeling about that last sentence but I ignore it in favor of relinquishing some more information.

"That's what they said!" I exclaim, excitement and relief at finally being able to tell another human being who would actually BELIEVE me and not think that he was having a hallucination.

"Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my-You have to use these new powers for the benefit of all mankind." I nod in agreement, but the devious grin on Tobes face doesn't match with what he's just said, "You have to use this to kick Steve's butt."

 _There it is._ I balk at him, "Really? I show you a glowing sword and a suit of armor that can only be magic, and that's how you respond?"

"Seriously! It's butt-kicking time." He stops and stretches his own legs, completely random sidetracked mind kicking in,"These pants are so _elastic_."

But despite that horrible habit, I'm proud to say Tobes never misses a single detail of information when he's intrigued, "Wait. Also, who's 'they'?"

 _Finally, we reach the not so super part._ "Well, that's the part that I've been freaking out over!"

Speak of the devil. "-What, what, what the heck is that?" Tobes shrieks, I know exactly who those fast and freaky shadows scuttling in my backyard are. The flare of distressed Beta fills my nostrils with the very sour scent of lemonheads, I take a step towards the door to try and explain but Tobes' hysterics only further snowball, "Don't open the door!"

The door slams open with enough force that the door frame cracks and the sound resembles a gun going off, followed by a greeting that will become a coined term from the troll in question in the future, "Master Jim!"

Meanwhile Tobes is curled in a ball hiding behind the counter armed with a ladle and currently dialing numbers, "-I'm calling 911! No, Animal Control! Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh- _They_ **talk**?"

"I knew it was but a matter of time before the amulet called to us." Blinky begins, ignoring the spastic human shakily pointing the curved, aluminum, business end of my kitchen utensil at the six-armed menace.

"'Called' to you?" I question. _So this thing is a friggin Troll pager? What the hell else should I know about!? Are more of these lumbering house intruders going to be coming here and making themselves at home and causing cracks in the walls?_

"-Actually, no. We've been spying on you." Blinky supplies, like it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"Spy on you." Aaarrrggh parrots, making the universal "watching you" gesture with his two giant fingers.

"Well," Blinky tries to underplay, "keeping a close watch." _Ok, I think this is kind of worse. So instead of it being completely random trolls it's just two freaky troll stalker fanboys... fan-fucking-tastic._

"Door small." Aaarrrgghh grumbles, creaking the foundation of the house by wiggling in through the creaking door frame with some minor grunts fpr effort that pays off. A loud **Thump** echoes in my house.

"-Animal Control! Monsters, at my best friend's house! I need you to send a squad!" Tobes yells into the phone, peering over the counter at Aaarrrgghh who's looking at him with a small smile.

" _Is this a joke, kid?_ " I hear the responder say, apparently Tobes had accidentally put it on speaker in his haste.

Tobes gulps as Aaarrrgghh backs away, clambering onto the counter and swinging the flimsy piece of metal between the two "threats" in my house, knocking food and bowls of batter on the ground. _Great add that onto cleanup duty._ "-Make that the National Guard!" 

**BEEP!**

"Animal Control hung up on me." Tobes gawks at the phone.

"You told your stout little Beta friend about us?" Blinky yells, outrage and disappointment contort his large... stinky mouth.

"Um, I was in the process of explaining that trolls exist to my very _**sensitive** stout little **Best**_ friend, when you guys decided to barge in here like you owned the place and put him into a panic attack!" I yell, glaring at the multi-eyed troll before me. Aaarrrgghh at least has the decency to look sheepish while Blinky seems to have no idea that he's part of the cause of this mess.

"Master Jim, we trolls have gone to great lengths to keep our existence secret from your kind, lest there be panic." He throws his hands towards Tobes for emphasis.

"Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh-" Tobes repeats like a wheezy, hyperventilating, broken record.

"Well obviously not, because _you_ exposed _yourself_! If you saw unfamiliar creatures whose sheer size and eyeball count have been associated with monsters you thought were in your closet until you were 10 years old _breaking in_ to your best friend's house... don't you think this reaction would be APPROPRIATE?!" I shout, drawing in breath in preparation to further my rant but the sound of a car pulling into my driveway makes me choke on my next words.

And my voice did NOT crack from puberty when I murmured a quiet "Cra-*crack*ap!"

*********************************************

After hastily shoving two stinky large trolls into the bathroom with myself and Toby to have a mini heart attack what with my Mom down-stairs calling for me and being told my apparent near future involves my demise by a evil troll that finished the last guy without breaking a sweat, who Blinky was saying was the poster-boy of trollhunter saviors and didn't exactly come out of his fight against him whole and alive. Thankfully I got my Mom out of the door with the keys she had forgotten, and by that time Toby was more in fanboying at the trolls that invaded my house than freaking out that trolls existed in the first place. When my mom's car lights disappeared over the hill they all came down and made themselves comfortable in my living room.

"So, Master Jim, are you ready? We should begin your training immediately," Blinky exclaims, four hands in varying states of excitement, the chipperness grates on my beyond fraying nerves.

"Uh, it's a school night." I reject, _Please take the hint. Please take the hint._

"I assure you, the relevance escapes me." Blinky... well, _blinks_ in confusion.

"I'm 15," I try, looking over at Toby and trying to silently ask him to get me out of this. "I have to stay home and, uh, study and stuff. Do homework? I can't be out, you know, _trollhunting_."

"-Because?" Blinky persists, a pair of arms folded, a single hand on his hips, and the last remaining hand contemplatively holding his chin.

"Well, the whole "getting killed by a vicious troll named Bular" might be a deal-breaker." I can't help but snap, and then I hear a crunch.

"Dude! He eats VHS's!" Toby exclaims, I look around Blinky just in time to see Mortal Weapons 2 and 3 crunch in Aaarrrgghh's mouth, sharp strong stone teeth making short work of the movies.

"Deal-breaker?" Blinky questions, the confusion in his eyes hasn't seemed to leave.

My patience and nerves that have been praised as saintly and made of steel rust and rot away, "I DON'T WANT TO **DIE**!"

Surprise widens Blinky's eyes rather comically, I would have laughed had I not been rightfully upset over everything that's come to light, "Goodness gracious! Who does?"

"Maybe you should take this back." I whisper, pressing the amulet into Blinky's smooth, warm, stony hands.

He shakes his hand in terror, not for himself, but for me, "The amulet called to _you_ , Master Jim. It chose _you_. It is your-"

"Please, don't say 'destiny.' " I mumble into my hand.

"-sacred obligation." He says instead, a small quirk at the corner of his lips give him a toothy smirk.

"Or that." I deadpan.

"You cannot refuse it. You cannot give it back. It is yours until you die." Blinky recites with solemn damnation, facade of blessing cracking. This wasn't a gift, this was a death sentence, a curse.

 _Forget this._ I push it into his hands and walk into the kitchen and away from the troll that's hiding something. "And I would like to get a little further past puberty before that happens." _And you know, actually present as an Alpha and at least get my first_ kiss _before I kick the bucket._

"Master Jim, you are now responsible for the protection of two worlds, human and troll alike." He follows, voice weighing heavy with burden, "If you do not keep the balance, evil trolls like Bular will come into _yours_ and wreak havoc."

 _He doesn't mean-_ "You're saying this Bular could hurt people?" I question. The inclination of what he means by havoc in _my_ world is causing my skin to shiver.

"Like you." Aaarrrgghh interjects, Toby eyeing the Troll with curiosity even now.

"Not helping!" Blinky yells, silencing his more informative and straightforward companion.

"What's he talking about?" I demand, hand behind me and feeling the handle of my favorite knife in it's place.

"With the amulet now in your possession," Blinky begins with a tired and tentative sigh, "Bular will seek you out, and you will face him, one way or another." The _another_ he's implying has my skin further breaking out in a cold, odorless sweat.

"Maybe what Jim needs is a little time to process all of this." Toby advises, maneuvering Aaarrrgghh around the ceiling lights and into the kitchen, "You know, you laid a lot of heavy stuff on him tonight."

Blinky huffs. "Master Jim doesn't smell the slightest bit scared-", but gives in, waving his four arms in a lackadaisical way, when Aaarrrgghh sends him a look ,"Fine, fine. We shall return tomorrow then, to begin your training."

"Awesome sauce~!" Tobes fist pumps the air and gathers the remaining VHS tapes from my living room bookshelf, granted the VHS's became useless when Mom bought a DVD player after our VHS player bushed up daisies, so it wasn't any skin off my nose but still it was the principle of it.

"For the road, big guy." He honest to god giggles.

"VHS." Aaarrrgghh parrots, deep voice benevolent and child-like however much of an oxymoron that is.

"Mortal Weapons Five and Six." Toby hand feeds his new, gentle friend. Helping the soft-spoken giant through the small-ish backdoor.

"Oh! Master Jim, if I may," Blinky hesitates, pausing softly before beginning with a soft storyteller's voice, filled to the brim with determination and understanding and fear,"Destiny is a gift. Some go their entire lives living existences of quiet desperation, never learning the truth that what feels as though a burden pushing down upon our shoulders is actually a sense of purpose that lifts us to greater heights. Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valor, that to strive and triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero. Don't think, Master Jim. Become. Would you at least consider?" His voice is so... human.

Aaarrrgghh steps over the fence as Blinky waves goodbye. When Aaarrrgghh believes his leader of sorts is taking too long he snatches him up and hauls him over like a child heaving a lego. "Whoa! They're pretty stealthy." I turn to my best friend with a scowl, "How's that? I bought you a night."

"A night?" I squeak indignantly. _I should have way more than one measly night to cope with all this information and definitely more than a couple of decades to train for this fight since I can't get rid of this stupid glowing parasite that I won't be rid of unless I lay down and croak._

"Dude you're acting like an Omega, what happened to all that Alpha pride that's always talking about wanting adventure and something more. Well, wish granted." Toby points out, the locker room conversation coming to mind first and foremost. _Why is my life a freaking cliche all of a sudden? Isn't wanting something more after High School every teenager's reaction to life, Omega or Beta or Alpha notwithstanding? Why out of all the 15 year old teens in the world did this come back to bite **ME** _ specifically _in the ass?!_

"Hmm. So, trolls are a thing. Who knew?" Toby chuckles nonchalantly. _That's not the attitude you had when you were clutching a ladle in my kitchen and trying to call the government to my house._

*********Draal P.O.V.*********

I lay on my side, observing the support beams my father had fallen to his death from, staring at the crude metal creations the meatbags had made that both served their needs and betrayed the very surface they were cradled by. Only the brightest of stars peeked from the polluted clouds above, reminding me of the ceiling of the deep dark caverns Aaarrrgghh originally hailed from. Even the celestial dome could not escape the human's clumsy and childishly selfish hands. To desecrate such a thing of importance, it was despicable.

"Humans are such stupid creatures Father. Why did you die protecting them? They live and breath in both the light and the dark of the world. Their Alpha's don't even compare to the Beta's of troll-kind, their Beta's are worth less than the dirt they walk on, and out of all the intelligent creatures of the Earth their kind has the advantage of omegas, born from purity and without the aid of putrid blood magic. Why... Why are you gone father?"

"Because he stood against fate Draal. Humans are cattle, only good as a food source and nothing else, and so they will be soon. Bullar will free Gunmar, it is inevitable, it is destiny." A familiar feminine voice grates. I sit up and side-eye the changeling leaning casually against twisted and man-manipulated beams, cleaning her glowing weapons with the bottom of her long dress.

"Begone Nomura, I wish to mourn alone. Not desecrate the place of my father's last sacrifice by sharing the company of an impure." I growl, sneering at her, i had grown wise to her games. I knew she was fishing for anything valuable from me, as I knew she always was, but had hoped she, just as I, to gain loyalty to the opposite cause. But the mists had been lifted upon the sight of my father being felled-no sacrificing himself beneath this very bridge. "Trying to manipulate me, blatantly belittling and disrespecting my father within my vicinity upon our first meeting in months. And of all meeting places and times you pick the night after my father's death, at the very spot of his demise no less, for a reunion. I will tell you begone one more time Nomura, I will give you one chance to leave with no injuries but after this no more. I will hear no more of your warped talk of destiny and fate."

She stops, and blinks her acidic green eyes at me, narrow face twisting into a sharp-toothed smile. She stands straight and sheaths her dual-Khopesh, stalking towards me exuding vigor and sensuality, wielding them far more agilely than her metal weapons. "Will you see no more of my _beautiful dance of sharp diamonds_?" She spins slowly into a perfect lotus stance, dark hair swirling with a likeness of a dark cloak hiding her lithe but strong arms.

She questions with a toying voice, teasing and full of confidence, "Or feel my _soft stomach like polished talc_?" She trails a delicately clawed hand up her torso, stopping at the hidden zipper between her breasts. The growl that crawls out of my throat halts her progress.

She huffs, but stops her attempt at seduction. "Are you really going to make me leave Draal? Are you going to willingly gaze at the sky before you _alone_ , secret yourself from Trollmarket to escape the confined space below and rest your lonely fist over your heart. Feel the aching cold bareness of your sliver of a heart gem with no respite, no relief, just your own betraying thoughts of the absent scent of your mate? Will I find you crying at the injustice of that emptiness under this same bridge once more? Are you so blinded by the pain of something that I could not control that you are going to burn down _this_ bridge we have built between us?"

It had been amusing before now, when I believed I held the knowledge of the cursed changeling being a venom-less snake, rattle far worse than it's bite, utterly harmless but entertaining. So I had let it wrap around me with slim arms and pleasure me as it wished. If only I had known this impure was not of the biting kind, but of the squeeze you dead and swallow you whole variety. And bound me she had, leading me around by the nose and the hope of an actual relationship, the promise of skin ship between touch-starved ilk. The unlikelihood of ever finding the scentless troll who would touch the pure piece of flesh within myself was a tool she used against me.

After she had already dredged up the pain my father's absence in the line of his sacred duty had dealt me. The small crack I had suffered, that I still feel, to my heart gem from the inattentiveness of Kanjigar the Courageous. The months of lying in my bed as a young whelp waiting for death to be merciful and take me away. Instead my skin had grown harder, sharpness that could not be tamed nor ground down rose from my back. My horns multiplied and became thicker, curved and arched in such a way that no other troll's had. They had to carve my flesh before my sixteenth year cycle because there was the possibility my hide would break the chisels if set to the task too late. My father had visited me once and then he had all but left me in the care of Vendel, the high elder of Trollmarket, to be raised.

I had pushed through it with a grain of salt. I loved my father then, now he had my sorrow and the bitter taste of missed opportunities. My childhood was a casualty among the many in the long line of trollhunters. Like most of the wise, my father had put distance between us to protect me, rather than have the chance of something far worse being lost than a few decades of childhood. I had guidance during my first rutt, I was taught how to read, I played with other whelps. I was only missing my parents. My mother died by a still unknown illness when I was barely past my first decade. The son of Bular had stolen the only parent I had left. He would not fell me so easily through the treachery of a changeling.

" **Nomura** " I seethe through gritted fangs, eyes gleaming in hatred. My scent fills the air with the cloying smell of enraged Alpha. She takes the hint and swings up onto the top of the bridge, the soft whispers of her steps fading, but not before I hear a discontented sigh. Already I feel the prickle of cold invading my chest. as the stars continue to gaze down at the surface, the moon waning in a cruel, cold, crescent smile, mocking me as everything about this place seems to be doing.

The pain had been more frequent since my father's death, flaring up sporadically in the afternoon and just now. My mind soon wanders to the newest trollhunter, whatever they were. _What could it be? Certainly not a gnome... granted I'd pay good money to see Bular getting his tail handed to him by one of those little menaces. I truly hope it's not an impure. They would destroy the troll world whether they had seen the light and truly were traitors to Bular's cause or not. But Blinky had mentioned them being a boy, and he had smelled of alpha... human alpha. This 'boy' could only be a changeling with that scent._

It was the type of scent Nomura faintly smelled of when she had been waltzing before sundown in town. It wasn't a natural scent, man-created, used to mask non-existent scents. Changelings possessed tampered heart gems, most were quartz or other such near-odorless crystals, they were the typical heart gem of a true full-blooded troll Beta. But Changeling's had their gem's marred at birth, the Darkland's corruption infected them in the womb, encasing their heart gems in metal to erase all scent, or hope of finding a true mate. Loyalty to Bular comes above all in a changeling's world.

_And a normal human would have no reason to hide their scent, they barely have snouts to smell their own kind's class to begin with, granted they had blockers to hide their scent._ He had once heard Nomura say most Omegas did such a thing to alleviate some of the oppression they faced from human Alphas.

Contrary to human belief, human Betas did have a scent, it was just too subtle for the nose of a meatbag to detect. _But to practically bath oneself in manufactured Alpha hormones speaks for itself._ If the implications he'd both heard and smelled from Aaarrrgghh and Blinky during their conversation were to be believed, then the next trollhunter is indeed a changeling. The probability of the impure being bedfellows with Bular himself are both staggering and terrifying. 


	5. First Confrontation

The next morning had started off rough, the armor activated without my consent. I hadn't even said the incantation! And Mr. Strickler had to pick then of all times to be concerned about me and go out of his way to talk to me. Thankfully I made up a lie about trying out for the school play.

Which ended up being a blessing in disguise. Granted I was forced to tryout since Mr. Srickler would have found it suspicious if I didn't go. But I ended up impressing everyone rather than making a complete fool of myself when I repeated Blinky's speech to me to the crowd.

But most of all I impressed **CLAIRE**! She remembered my NAME! And if I manage to actally GET this part then I might even get a chance to KISS her! Because let's face it, she's the perfect candidate for Juliet, every Alpha and Beta has a crush on her, there were even rumors Mary Wang had a crush on her at one point and she's an Omega herself!

"Dude! That was amazing! You were amazing! I'm amazed at how amazing you were! I can't believe that that just happened. And did you see how the Chiquita was looking at you?" Toby gushes, bumping my shoulder and wiggling his eyebrows at me, "Your armor totally did you a favor!" 

I softly float down from cloud 9, reality settling cold on my shoulders. _I might get a kiss before I get killed by an evil troll. Huh. A guy can hope._ "I'm still getting the hang of it."

"The multi-eye guy said it reacts to your emotional state. The armor turns on when you're in distress." Toby contemplates, bringing up the bizarre instance this morning.

"But I wasn't in distress back at school." I rebuke, biting my lip in thought, bike tires smooth on asphalt. And then a hulking black mass is staring with red glowing eyes and the most blood-curdling alpha scent in existence sends any remaining happy feelings to their death via gravity. "But I am now." _I'm unpresented and I can smell the fumes from this troll. Please tell me this isn't Bular. Please tell me I didn't jinx myself!_

"Trollhunter. Merlin's Creation, Gunmar's Bane." It growls from the shadow of the construction barber shop under construction. It's pawing at the ground along the edge like a bull ready to charge. _Heh if this is Bular, Bull- Bular... At least I know I'm going to die with a sense of humor... Wait a second!_

"I think he's talking to you." Tobes whimpers, the reoccurring scent of pungent lemon-heads still doesn't hold a candle to that raunchy scent filling the air.

"Look!" I snap at Tobes, trying to get his Beta instincts under control, the epiphany from a second ago be exclaimed loud and clear, "He's afraid of the sun!"

Tobes almost sighs but he notices the dimming of the light holding the beast at bay, "Not for long!" Chubby finger pointing towards the sunset. And that sets Toby peddling faster than the threat of detention ever did.

"The amulet! Surrender it and I will give you a speedy death." The malevolent troll roars as the last rays of today's sun disappear.

"Doesn't know how to negotiate, this guy." Tobes quips fearfully. He looks back and avoids the flash of claws by the wires of his braces, "Go, go, go! Armor up, armor up, armor up! Please, now! Faster!" .

I wheeze out, "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command." _And_ nothing happens. "It's not working!" I panic. _Maybe I have to say it louder!?_ I pause a moment to scream the incantation at the amulet, Tobes pulls me behind the moving truck just as big, dark and deadly skids around the corner. I whisper feverishly at it, clutching the damn thing and praying that we will make it out of this alive, " **For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!** Seriously, it's mine to command! **I'm commanding here!** "

The monester may be giant but I can barely hear the crunch of his footsteps. The boastful gravel to it's voice is another matter entirely, "Centuries of Troll Hunters, and I will have killed two in almost as many days." My eyes must have stretched open to the size of dinner plates.

This _is Bular BLINKY!?!? SERIOUSLY? He'll use me as a toothpick and eat_ Tobes _in one bite!_

The truck is suddenly lifted up and I am only three feet from the same troll that killed my predecessor, lorded as the apparent best of the best by Blinky's praise. Toby yanks me out of my frozen stance, "He's good at math! Go, go, go!" 

And we're off again, Tobes has made a habit of looking behind us now. However risky the endeavor is when you've got a thick neck and little foot to eye coordination it's paid off, "Flying truck! Incoming!" twice tonight. We both swerve as the poor truck we had been cowering behind smashes into the asphalt.

The pounding of my heart and the thunderous stomps of the troll tearing after us like a bat-bull out of hell, "I'll flay the flesh from your bones!

"I like my bones the way they are. Thanks!" Tobes screams, peddling so fast he's doing an unintentional wheelie, almost losing control and becoming troll kibble in the process. 

His near death has spooked him, I can see it in his eyes he's about to give up. _Ok Jim think. You've lived in this town your whole life. Where can we loose this mammoth alpha asshole of a troll? Oh-_ "Head down Delancey! - Behind Stuart Electronics!" I yell at Tobes, turning sharply right, Tobes following me like a shadow. This place and Tobes had some unhappy history but it should do the trick. Tobes has been on a diet since he was young, granted when I met him he was more of an awkward puffball then than he is now if you can believe that. 

"You know I can't fit there!" Tobes squeals, because he unfortunately hadn't fit last time he was there.

"You can fit!" I yell. _It's your fear that's holding you back Tobes, and this isn't a 5th grade Steve Palchuck running at you, Upchuck is a chihuahua compared to that cumbersome behemoth._

"-I can't!" He denies, tears and panic painting his face, scent curdling my insides from the sour taste.

I zoom into the alleyway, if you can call it that. I stop half-way through and look back, goading him. "You've been on a diet, remember?" However self-conscious he's been his whole life I know when to press and right now is the only time I ever will.

Tobes shoots a look over his shoulder as Bular grips the corner of the building and crumbles it in his fist, flying at him like a speeding car. Tobes sped into the space before I could blink. His sides were scraping the edge, "I can't fit. I can't fit." But then he does a little wiggle and-"I can fit. I can fit! I can fit! I'm fitting! Yay, diet!"

We only slow down when we're within the neighborhood, both gasping for air, "Catch my breath-Look at me, look at me. We're not dead, right?" I grin back at Tobes and nod with about as much relief as I can put the effort into showing. _When I see Blinky again I'm gonna-_

"Master Jim! Ha-ha!" an unusual bush yells as the very troll appears. _Speak of the six-eyed devil._ I spot Aaarrrgghh right next to him holding two small branches in front of his face as if that would actually hide him.

"Bular's trying to kill us!" I yell, walking my bike up the hill to them, and ready to actually punch someone out of rage for the first time in my life, six times, one for each of those eyes on his deceiving, troll face.

"He chased us all over town!" Tobes blurts, pointing back towards the square, until he can't hold his arm up anymore and ends up resting them on a shaking knee.

"And you're still alive." Blinky cheers, patting his arms harshly down on my shoulder, "I knew you had potential, Master Jim."

Tobes looks up, if humans had the ability to kill with just a look Blinky would be pushing up a flower shop of daisies right now. "You know, you may have a sweet voice, but you bring death with you!"

 _I am officially done._ "You guys can fight him, right? Because I am NOT facing that angry hell-bull!"

Blinky laughs that warm laugh that makes me just want him to choke on it, "I could not hope to possess the skill to defeat Bular." _Figures._

"What about him? He's big." Tobes points at the larger of the two benevolent trolls.

Aaarrrgghh holds up a hand and bashfully shakes his head crossing over his chest, a slight sweet smell tinging the air, "-Pacifist."

Tobes' eyes widen for some reason, a slight sweet smell permeates the air. _Is Aaarrrgghh a- well that explains somethings._ "Seriously? Man, such a waste of a hulking brute." Tobes says, grinning slightly at the troll who I had thought was a Beta this entire time.

Aaarrrgghh grins back good-naturedly, "Thank you."

Blinky raises a finger and puts on the airs of a patronizing scholar, "This is why there is a Trollhunter, Master Jim. Aaarrrgghh renounced the violent path ages ago." Aaarrrgghh nods his head gently, eyes sparkling with mirth. A roar brings reality back with a mix of survival instincts and adrenaline.

"Follow me!" Blinky shouts, running towards the school short cut, "We'll be safe in Heartstone Trollmarket!"

One particular house still has a light on in a room and I see Eli Pepperjack with his jaw hitting the floor. _Well that explains that._ I hear a giddy and pitchy, "Yes! I knew it!" from the house. The cheers quickly dying down as Bular stampedes past. Tobes' foot slips on a peddle and Aaarrrgghh's meaty hand snatches him from death's jaws, the bike even stops Bular for a moment as he tries to get the mangled piece of metal off of his foot.

But once he sends it soaring the bike seems to have only pissed him off more than hindered him. When Bular takes a swipe too close Aaarrrgghh grabs me and deposits me on his back next to a shaking Tobes on a blanket of moss-like mane. Now it seems like Bular was merely toying with me and Tobes earlier, we're going at least 40 miles an hour and this jerk is nipping at our ankles! Once we hit the trees though we lose him rather quickly.

Once we reach the canal Aaarrrgghh sets me and Tobes down to slide down the edge, Blinky looks back at me and furiously hollers, "Oh, no! Master Jim! Don your armor!" _SERIOUSLY?!_

"I've been **trying**! The amulet won't _listen_ to me!" I snap, nose wrinkling up in disgust.

Blinky's frenzied arm movements speak for themselves, "Did you speak the incantation?"

I try not to scoff but my voice breaks in dilemma, "I've been in-canting the c*crack*rap out of it, and it's not _working_!"

"Just focus and in-cant, dude!" Tobes barks at me, slowly sliding his way down the lip of the canal.

The harsh stamping of feet that crunch skulls for a living pound towards me. Warmth brushes my body but it's not the same. _I can feel the heat but it's like a slippery piece of ribbon._ "Uh, 'F _or_ the **glo _ry_** of Mer _ **li** n, Da_ylight is mine to comm **and**.' "

I repeat, I can feel the vibrations from his speedy gait, he's almost upon me. The warmth slithers along my spine and my hand but it's hard to wrangle, to concentrate. _If I can just-_ " 'For t **he glor** y of Merlin, Da **yl** ight is mine to **comma** nd.' "

Time slows down, the warmth caresses my chest and I welcome it with open arms, the rush of safety and relief nearly wind me. " ' _ **For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command.**_ ' " A literal rock-hard super punch from the evil man-eater sends me into the air, the armor takes the blow and assembles itself mid-flight.

I skid to a stop in the canal, feet nearly buckling but the stone under my heels crumbles like wet clay. I've left an impressive scratch in it. Bular grins at the flash of blue and silver, the blood-lust is palpable and the Alpha scent has ME shaking. "Uh... nope." _Time to get the hell out of Dodge._

I avoid a kick "WhoA!" but get my ribs a good solid thwack from Bular's tail, riddled with spikes with both the thickness and weight of a log.

"Use your sword, Master Jim!" Blinky advises, cupping all four hands to microphone his implausible answer to this mountainous problem

The behemoth speak, voice cocky and gravely from exertion,"I'll drink your blood out of a goblet made of your skull!" _And boy does that sound like date plans for whatever poor unfortunate soul he's attracted to. My inner Doctor Lake is cringing, because that's not sanitary._

"Cut him like a meatloaf, Jim!" Tobes encourages, I bite my lip and swivel the sword. _Maybe Tobes is onto something._

Bular and I circle each other, my back to them as he prowls clockwise. I hear exclamations and a weird shifting noise like a waterfall of rocks from under the bridge.

"Master Jim! Master Jim, come on!" Blinky bellows, I grit my teeth in aggravation.

"I'm a little busy here." I yell back, Bular of course picks this moment to try and strike, I evade and actually manage to take a swing. It goes without saying I'm completely out-classed here. He blocks the sword with his arm, the brace on it creaking in agony but holding. The giant grabs me by the shoulder and presses me against the wall with enough force to knock the breath out of my lungs.

Bular leers in close, the taste of his nasty breath making my bowels want to spew. He sniffs at me in curiosity, "You-Ha. _You_ are still a **whelp**! I was wondering why you smelled like an aging _Alpha_. For a moment I almost mistook you for a Rogue **Changeling**. But you've yet to present... The Amulet has chosen a **human** , and not even a full grown _Omega_ but a _babe_..." His boisterous laughter leaves my face sprayed with spittle. He looks down on me again and growls, hatred glowing from his eyes, enough to turn my insides to stone," You are not fit to wield the Amulet. Not Like Kanjigar was. Not like my **MATE** was. By Merlin's beard you don't even compare to the pitiful Beta before **Him** and he died screaming for his sire! I have never had a taste for babe flesh, never tried it what with Changelings being as they are. But...I can make you an exception. You're practically skin and bone in the first place, I could squeeze you between two fingers and see you break like a twig."

I feel a stirring in my spine and my stomach. The Amulet releases me and falls to the ground. A harsh heat flashes through me, but then I feel the coolness along the stone behind me flare to frostbite level, and suddenly I am free and Bular is skidding along the ground 20 feet away. A large blue fist wraps around my waist and hauls me into the icy wall. I fall to the floor gasping for breath, keeping my eyes closed as I tried to calm my breathing back down to not-hyperventilating Toby level.

I manage to wheeze out my thoughts on this whole fiasco with a chorus of angry complaints singing from my badly bruised ribs, "He nearly- _We_ nearly-He almost-"

"Almost what? Speak, Master Jim." Blinky attempts, fearful and unused to the weak and sickly sounding voice coming from the small human. Worry seeming to be affecting him with a late response to the pummeling I received before now.

"He almost _**killed**_ us!" I spit, declaring what is a blatantly obvious side-effect of this _humbling mantle_.

" 'Almost'!" He cackles in what adjective I choose to label as _madly_ , "A very important word. A life of "almost" is a life of never."

I hesitantly try to sit up, large and warm hands help me do just that from behind me and I look at Blinky, still chuckling beside Aaarrrgghh next to the wall. Something is still troubling me,"Why'd the armor suddenly shut off?"

"Master Jim, you are the first _human_ to possess the amulet, which was crafted for _trolls_ might I remind you. It's to be _expected_ its behavior will be... er _un_ -expected."

"No, that's anything but the right word to describe this mess Blinkous." A feral growl reaches my ears, I readjust my back and I resolutely look at the owner of the hands supporting me. Angry, disgusted red tinged orange Alpha eyes sneer at me, no bloodlust there but there's some definite dislike. They belong to the newest addition to the ever increasing number of looming Trolls, directly behind me.

Large spiraling horns, like those on the decorative lion-dogs at the Chinese buffet, jut out of his head. His skin is blue but holds a sheen of green, with a plethora of giant, clustered crystals blossoming on his back like a reverse geode, they appear clear but there's so many that there is no possibility of really looking through them except maybe at their sharp pointed tips. It's bottom pointed teeth almost peek out from it's lip-less mouth, looking like juvenile tusks. This one's breath doesn't stink as much as the other trolls I've come across, but it is still in need of some mouthwash. It's scent is unusual though, smoky and murky at the same time, like the damp ground in my backyard on the nights when Mom and I would roast marshmallows and gaze at the stars. Just that subtle hint of sweetness with the smell of heat and rain. "Something is wrong with the Amulet and it's probably the result of these impur-" it sniffs towards Tobes and alters it's statement, "impure and human tampered with something, holding something only a troll's hand ever should have touched."

"I'd like to point out that this thing" I shake the damned thing in front of the alpha troll's face, "called _MY NAME_ from under a pile of rock. I didn't ask for this, and honestly I didn't _want_ this "sacred obligation" in the first place. I just got chased around town by a demonic bull-dude that apparently has some weird beef with troll hunters as a whole. I'm just an average _HUMAN_ teenager. I'm not equipped to pass my _Spanish_ exam, and you guys want me to fight _**WHATEVER THAT WAS BACK THERE**_?! I'll be honest, the glowing armor, the floating transformations, and the giant flaming sword are pretty sweet but it isn't worth my life! So take the stupid thing back and find somebody else to do it's dirty work!"

My hyperventilating speeds up as I attempt to gulp air, my mind snapping. My patience and my ability to cope with everything that's gone down in the last 48 hours finally catching up to me as my body goes slack. I'm out like a light in a matter of seconds.

But before I was dragged into the dark oblivion behind my eyelids I swear I felt that same warm hand that saved me from certain doom catching me before I dealt more harm to myself via head cracking on the ground. The searing heat returned but for a moment before it receded, and I was left in with the comforting warmth I have come to associate with the power of the Amulet.

*************Draal P.O.V.************

The boy collapses unexpectedly. His scent confuses me as I unintentionally receive a big whiff, gaping at the boy I've just caught. There's the definite chemical smell but the age is all wrong and there's no spikes from adrenaline, nor from the tang of exertion as sweat would usually leave in it's stead. But there's no underlying scent either, there's nothing. So the meat-bag isn't an omega, but a changeling would have chosen the correct age of pheromone to fool a troll's more sensitive nose. _This child couldn't be- Don't humans present early in life? How old is this human? Is it a whelp? Why is this one unpresented? A defective maybe?... has it no soulmate?"_

__

__

I glare at Blinkous and Aaarrrgghh, "Why did you not take the whelp to Trollmarket sooner Blinkous? Aaarrrgghh I can understand not detecting his status because of his past. You however have no excuse for such a thing!"

Blinkous's eyes squint in confusion, arms thrown up in exasperation, "Draal I have no idea what you are speaking of. Master Jim's status is an alpha, a rather strong one... his scent never wavered even while facing Bular not but a few moments ago."

I gently deposit the boy in Aaarrrgghh's capable hands, turning to Blinky with a sneer.

"Hey, Jim's been an Alpha since like the beginning of high school. What are you guys getting so angry about? Shouldn't you- you know, be getting him to a doctor or something? He's literally just passed out in front of us." The small human Beta pipes in, hands on his hips and pointedly eyeing the trolls.

Aaarrrgghh silently reassures the small Beta with a soft pat on his head and reveals the mysterious one's form sleeping softly, quiet little breaths matching a ticking clock in slumber.

_This Beta is a loyal one I'll give him that._

"That _boy_ is just that. A boy, Beta... human boy-"

"It's _Toby_... you trolls really are terrible at names. His name is _Jim_ by the way."

I nod at the small pudgy meat-bag and continue with my explanation, " _Toby_ , your friend, _Jim_ I presume?" The human nods, hands folded in front of him as a modicum of seriousness, "The alpha scent on him is not his own. It has the hints of an elderly alpha, too old to be his own and smells of medicine. There are only two cases of such a pheromone being used. The first is an omega in hiding."

Toby's eyes widen comically, "I KNEW HE LIKED MOTHERING HIS MOTHER TOO MUCH!!!!"

I hold up a hand to tone the small excited Beta bouncing ball down, "He however does not have the scent of an omega under him... he has no scent which leaves me to believe-"

"Master Jim could not POSSIBLY BE A CHANGELING DRAAL! How DARE YOU ACCUs-" Blinkous starts but I grab his face in one second and have him pressed against the wall with his many eyes digging into the granite.

"I was not accusing him of being a Changeling Blinkous. Now cease with your interruptions and let me explain what I _DO_ know." I let him go and do not look back as I walk back to the now shaking human hiding behind Aaarrrgghh. I sit and nod at Aaarrrgghh, Aaarrrgghh in turn scoops up the hiding human and places him front and center.

"A changeling was once a troll. But they are stolen before they present and are ghosted away into the Darklands. There, their heartgems are manipulated and corrupted. Once they have been thoroughly trained and proven themselves to be loyal to Gunmar. They are switched with a human baby and take on their life, becoming spies and agents in both human society and troll society. During the corruption their heartgems are masked and give off no scent, becoming odor-less Betas. The problem there lies in that untainted troll Betas have scents, as do human Betas. A trolls nose can sniff out the difference if they get close enough. But their scents match their age and it's more difficult to detect otherwise it would be rather suspicious." I assure, pointing at the sleeping human being cradled in Aaarrrgghh's strong hands, "No changeling would make such a mistake. Especially in such a situation as this. How old is Jim, Toby?"

The Beta boy shivers, hesitating in divulging in his answer, "Jim's 15... but hu-humans normally present a little before puberty or a little after... but I'm TELLING you he's-he's human! I swear he's human. Jim hasn't ever been in a fight before. He doesn't like violence, and these Changeling dudes sound like they fisticuffs with you guys a lot."

"Your friend is not a Changeling, of that I assure. But he doesn't have the scent of a presented human. So, the real question is why has he covered himself? And why has the Amulet chosen a human whelp, who has not even _presented_ , to hold my father's mantle?" I rub my temple in thought.

"Wait-You're Jim's replacement's Son? uhm- I mean, sorry for your loss." Toby tries to sooth. _As I thought Humans truly are rude creatures. Then again this human is still a child in our culture and theirs... he can't be more than a decade and a half._

"My Father sacrificed himself to keep the Amulet from Bular's grasp. My father even chose to ignore his heartgem's call to fight for the good of troll kind." I answer, turning the other cheek at the whelp, "He was one of the best. But now I am highly doubting the Amulet's ability to choose who wields it. The mantle should have fallen to me but it has fallen to your extremely under-qualified friend. However I am afraid there is no way of denying the responsibility of being a Trollhunter. It is Jim's until he dies, and with him being but a human whelp... I believe his wish shall be granted fairly soon, he shall not be the Trollhunter for very long."

"Draal! How dare yo-" I stop him with but a glare.

"I speak the truth Blinkous. I will not cat-fur coat this as you seem to have done thus far. The boy will most likely die before he presents, the Amulet will have sacrificed a _**babe**_ Blinkous. Taking him to TrollMarket will simply extend his life. Eventually he will leave, and there Bular will be waiting. Bular will take the Amulet and do Merlin knows what to it. His death is inevitable. He will end as your last protege ended Blinkous."

Blinkous' eyes begin to water, but his fists clench in determination as he looks into my eyes with fire burning in his own. His scent flaring to extremes in wrath, "How **_DARE_** you."

My instincts rise and I have to restrain myself from the prompting bloodlust aimed at me, the results of such would not be pleasant.

"Master Jim shall not end as my soulmate did Draal! I will not let it happen. I don't care if I have to face Daylight itself to keep that boy alive, but Master Jim shall live. Bringing up the past- Bringing up _Him_ has done nothing to deter me from training Master Jim. It has opened my eyes to a very real problem in this world. If anything you've just added fuel to the fire. There has never been a human Trollhunter, and yet! AND YET! Trollhunters have been pledging themselves to protect both Trolls from Gummgumms and _humans_. I believe it has long been overdue that the humans be involved in the threat against their survival. And a _**human Trollhunter**_ is possibly the most brilliant way to breach the wool we trolls have been pulling over the humans eyes for so long. Their ignorance may have been bliss but it has also weakened-no, **handicapped** the side of good. Who we have blocked off the potential allies we could have sought in the humans by hiding our very existences. Gunmar and his minions has had how many centuries to plot an escape Draal? The absence of movement until fairly recently bodes for a dark future for Trolls and Humans alike. I will not simply _**hand**_ Gunmar the future, to _**GIVE**_ him the Amulet and our only weapon and defense we have against that monster, I will make Master Jim into the greatest Trollhunter to have ever lived! By the stone statue of my mate I swear it!"

Seeing the sheer resolution in Blinkous' eyes...

I truly wish I could believe him.


	6. Revealing

************Draal***********

Aaarrrgghh cradled the whelp with a gentleness only reserved for newborn babes. Humans are fragile creatures however vile they may be, that added on with the apparent ailment whatever _Jim_ was suffering from only seemed to further incline Aaarrrgghh's Omega instincts to surface. The poor troll had had many suitors after changing sides but the poor Omega lost his truemate in the chaos when Gunmar was banished to the Darklands. And that split his heart gem near clean in half if rumors are to be believed. Which all but ensures Aaarrrgghh will never have whelps of his own.

I can understand, if only but a fraction of his pain. My own heart gem being as it is, defective, fractured, **cracked** and it happened far too early in my life to properly escape the unforeseen side effects. To counteract the painful transformation I endured, that there is still no explanation for. After all I have yet to meet my soulmate But I lived through it just as Aaarrrgghh, and his side effects are far more potent than my own. 

And the boy... Well, whoever his soulmate is, I hope their whiplash effect will not be as cruel as troll kind's. I turn from Blinkous and nod at Aaarrrgghh. "I'll escort all of you to Vendal's and only to Vendal's."

Blinkous hesitantly places a gentle hand on the conscious boy's shoulder, "Toby rest assured I smell no wounds on your friend. Jim has merely ... fainted from the excitement."

Toby nods worriedly, "Yeah, honestly I'm surprised I haven't yet. I've basically been dragged along all night with him; buuuut, he also fought Bular so...yeah."

My eyes widen in astonishment. _**Both** human whelps have already encountered Bular and survived? I can only hope their luck lasts more than a few days._

I escort them to Vendal after this exchange, the pudgy meatbag oohs and aahs at our home. The other one, however, sees none of trollmarket's splendor. I pity the small creature for that. The Heartstone is always a sight to behold, at least he will have the right to see it before Bular slaughters him, as he will technically be the guardian of my home and many other places where my kind gather.

The trek to Vendal's is a short distance from the entrance... However, the onlookers and peddlers cluttering our path only increase as I shove curious hands away and stare down curious eyes.

"What have you bumbling fools done now?" Vendel rounds, seeing the sheepish looks on Blinkous and Aaarrrgghh's faces before looking at the humans, "abducting human whelps Blinkous? You're no better than a gaggle of goblins."

"Aah, Vendel... Jim here is eh um, how do I state this without you screaming the roof off of your house?-" Blinkous mumbles, twiddling his fingers and looking anywhere but into Vendel's milky old eyes.

"Amulet chose." Aaarrrgghh supplies, laying Jim down on the table and resting the amulet on his chest.

"Preposterous! Merlin's creation was made for trolls not a pitiful-", Vendel sniffs and his nostrils instantly flare, "wait-DID YOU BRING A CHANGELING INTO TROLL MARKET?!?" Vendel screams in outrage.

"He is not. No changeling would make the mistake of using the scent with the wrong age. He has no scent, the only other explanation is that he is truly an unpresented whelp..." I admit, not baring the ability to look at the doomed child.

Vendel shakes his head in both disgust and pity, "It seems the amulet is defective then if it has chosen a human babe to protect trollkind, humans can be killed so very easily."

"He has already encountered Bular once and escaped with his life." Blinkous states.

"He is lucky to have not ended up as your mate did Blinkous. And look at the state he is in now, unconscious on my coffee-table." Vendel retorts, Blinkous sulks at the truth but says no more.

"Hey, old troll dude?" Toby stutters, peeking out from behind Aaarrrgghh's arm.

Vendel sighs, running his forehead in agitation, "Ah yes, the other human that you have stolen tonight. I'm surprised the whole of Trollmarket has not been overrun."

"Uh heheh um, I kind of got dragged along with Jim on this but Jim's my only friend. He's about as viscous as my Nana's Siamese and cooks like a 5 star chef. If I needed help he wouldn't hesitate to give his arm and his leg for me. He's had to take care of his mom for most of his life because his dad left with his soulmate, and he's been hiding is status as unpresented, which at his age is... not exactly something you want the world to know. It doesn't end well for most kids, even Omegas have it slightly better and they're practically sold off to the highest bidder after high school. So, he's had a lot on his plate before even the amulet started calling his name under the bridge... He doesn't deserve to die and, well, isn't there some way to pass the amulet onto someone else without, you know, kicking the bucket?" Toby asks, worry clear in his eyes. _Jim has a good friend, this Toby is not so bad for a fleshbag._

Vendel sighs but shakes his head sadly, "I am sorry pudgy one but once the amulet chooses a champion... death is the only thing that can separate them."

"Uggh.. wow, th-that has to have been the weirdest nightmare-" Jim grumbles sitting up and cracking his back, the amulet sliding into his lap as he sits up and eyes widening when those blue orbs open to my face about a foot away, "oh... well shit."

**********Jim POV********** 

"It seems you have been chosen to be the Trollhunter, however gruesome the honor will make your death. Seeing as you are but an unpresented whelp and a HUMAN no less we must talk of living arrangements." The old looking troll sighs, "Your fleshbag friend over there has made it known that he is your only friend and that your father is out of the picture. But there has been no mention of siblings so I presume you are an only child, which leaves only your mother to make accustoms for, yes?"

"Wait, waitwaitwait- living arrangements?" Jim questions, mind reeling at the sudden mention of his past and _Moving_.

"Master Jim, you cannot expect us to let you live outside of the safety of the troll realms. Bular has your scent, it would only be a matter of time before he finds your home, he would very likely kill you in your sleep. Anyone you're connected to is in peril as well, Bular and his minions will seek out anything they can possibly use against you. It is why so many potential Trollhunters do not even make families and even move away from what family they already have and take on a new name. You do not have that luxury as you haven't severed ties with your mother and Master Toby before you were chosen. Even Master Toby's relations are in danger seeing as he has most definitely caught his scent as well." Blinky explains, my blood runs cold at the situation I've landed myself in now.

"There is a Trollhunter residence in each Trolltown that the current Trollhunter may choose to inhabit. I'd recommend the one here but Khanjigar's belongings and Draal... will have to be moved-"

"My mom doesn't exactly know about me being the Trollhunter... or that trolls even exist. She works from dusk to dawn at the hospital, I think she'd put me in the nuthouse if I tried telling her about this... and if she saw you guys she'd faint. Plus, I'm not gonna boot someone out if they're already living there." I reject, "I'm really grateful for everything you guys have done for me so far but, I honestly just want to go home and rest, for like a week, after that run in with Bular."

The scent of Alpha in the room thickens, Toby crumbling to the ground and whimpering, Aaarrrgghh ducking his head and backing up against the wall. I feel my own neck grow tingly too, which is a first for me. I gulp and glare into his yellow eyes in aggravation. _Is he trying to make me submit?! How DARE he!_

Draal, the blue behemoth that managed to save my ass from Bular, invades my space and huffs in my face, growling, "The Trollhunter residence does not belong to me whelp, it belongs to the current Trollhunter. However, if you think you're doing your mother a favor by keeping her in ignorance you are sorely mistaken. My own father distanced himself from me to keep me safe, that is a fact. But I always knew who my father was, he never lied to me. And keeping life-endangering information is lying by omission. If your mother is taken at this very moment she will have no idea what you've dragged her into nor how she could potentially protect herself because you did not have the courage to inform her of the changes your life has currently taken. You are use to hiding things from others since your companion Toby knows of your status and touched on why you have been using alpha pheromones to hide. You've fooled many into believing you were an alpha which goes to show how pathetic a human's senses are. But if you're hiding your lack of secondary gender from your own dame... You don't deserve either of them. So _**grow up**_ and make the correct decision, it's not even a choice if you would use your gnome-sized brain. Outside of Trollmarket you, Toby, and your mother will die if you remain without protection. Going out in daylight is even risky seeing as Changelings are likely to start gathering once word of a _human_ Trollhunter makes it down the ranks. Which Bular has undoubtably already spread that information."

I seethe at the manipulation he just tried to pull but even so... he's got a point. I breath in slowly and breath out through my teeth with a heavy sigh, each word feeling like a tooth is being pulled out. "Fine... I'll tell my mom. But I'm not kicking you out or taking over Khanjigar's home... with how _extravagant_ you make it out to sound there's bound to be enough room available there for you, me, my mom and Toby... and his Nana."

"hmm, I suppose that is true though it is rather unconventional for Draal to be living with you... but I suppose seeing as you _are_ an unpresented human whelp, the masses will only take this as a strange human custom." Vendel murmurs, nodding to himself.

"Unconventional?" I question, "What's unconventional about not kicking someone out of their home? When there's literally enough space to house everyone comfortably?" Crossing my arms and narrowing my eyes at the elderly troll.

" _Weeeeeeeeeeeell_ you see master Jim... in such situations it could be taken as a sign of, well _umm_... how do I put this in a way that won't offend you?"

 _Draal_ as I think he's called huffs in frustration and impatience, rubbing a hand down his face in irritation. "It's a step in courtship. One of the last ones mind, but courtship is only permitted between two grown, consenting _adults_ , which we don't have to worry about since you're essentially the equivalent of a toddler in troll-years. Troll's reach maturity when they finally gain control of their lower bowel movements and have their first mating-cycle. Something that I highly doubt will be happening soon enough after you move in to cause a riot in the streets."

I shake my head in weariness, "Ok, let's get this over with... lead me home and I'll spill the beans to mom."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^^*^

When I had woken up in that room I did notice that the walls looked like they were made of a clear orange substance. But now that I was outside of the structure I couldn't believe my eyes. "This is-"

Toby smirks at my gobsmacked face with a cheeky "Yeah."

"Heartstone." Aaarrrgghh rumbles pleasantly, pointing at the giant structure we had just exited.

"The life force of trollkind. The means that keeps us from crumbling to stone and our source of light and sustenance." Blinky supplies, sounding like a dictionary definition.

"Whoa." I can't seem to look away.

"Pretty much." Toby chuckles, "This place makes Journey to the Center of the Earth look cheesy, and that was made with high def. pixels."

It's not just the giant ass crystal I had been _inside_ , there were an array of boulder size crystals growing in random patches on walls and stall roofs that's got me star-struck. And then there was the market place. "This is your home?"

"Trollmarket is home and hearth and sanctuary for all good trolls. This way, my friends. There is much to see but time is of the essence and a tour can wait for your mother and, " Blinky turns to Toby in askance, "...Nona?"

"You're getting better with names, 'Nana' but close enough." Toby corrects, grinning ear to ear. No doubt he had already fanboy-ed over everything when they carried my dead-weight inside, the beta being the local mineral buff of Arcadia.

"And here I thought the only thing underneath our town was dirt and plumbing." I mumble, nose cringing at some of the harsh alpha scents assaulting my nose, "So, your kind, you all live here? I can smell a lot of alphas but I don't sense any omegas around... are omega scents more toned down in your species or something?"

"Trolls travel from afar to our market to find comfort and remedies. You'll find most anything you need and sometimes you'll find what you never knew you needed." Blinky replied cryptically like the irritating jerk he is. "As for omegas... our species only have the two dynamics that occur naturally, you call them beta and alpha in your language. Omegas are not born, they are created through dark means and... are a bit taboo to speak of. Blood magic is not looked upon in good standing in Troll culture. Aaarrrgghh is a special case."

More questions pop up in my head from that barely informative statement.

We stop at a glowing spiraling stair case growing out of the walls. "After you Master Jim. Since it is still dark outside Aaarrrgghh and I can accompany you to your home and answer any questions your mother and _Nana_ may have." Blinky explains as we ascend.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Tobes go snag your Nana. You guys stay in the backyard, try hiding behind the boulders or something. Mom's gonna freak out more if she accidentally sees you before I try to tell her." I assert, taking a deep breath in and release it with a harsh breath out. _You can do this Jim... it's just your mom._

Opening the door I set my backpack on the railing,"Jim? I'm in the kitchen."

"Hey Mom," I cringe at that. _Please tell me she hasn't started cooking... I don't think my body can handle anymore surprises today._

"Um so, I've got to tell you something." I hedge, slinking into the kitchen to be met by-

"Look who stopped by."

My eyes widen at the sight of Mr. Strickler, holding a steaming cup of tea, and sitting at the bar. My mother, is actually smiling. Not the tired smile she wears everyday but a genuine smile that makes her eyes shine that shade of blue I never thought I was going to see again.

"Hello Jim." He smiles warmly.

"Mr. Strickler..."

"Mr. Strickler came by to congratulate you." Mom announces, putting the tea kettle back on the stove.

"Oh, that's really, uh nice..." I respond, sheepishly.

Mr. Strickler blinks and apparently he's made a connection, guilt clouding his face, "I'm so sorry young Atlas. I seem to have misjudged. You were about to tell your mother the exciting news. I apologize, it seems I have ruined the surprise."

 _Oh no, don't make mom frown. I don't want to ruin this. I can fix this, just keep it cool._ "It's fine, it's fine." I placate simply.

"It's a great honor that you've been chosen to wield this mantle. I've no doubt that you will prove equal to the task." Strickler smiles, bringing his lips to the brim of his cup. _Great, now I'm going to have to hide a body for mom._

"Why didn't you tell me you were trying out for _Romeo and Juliet_?" Mom asks in exasperation, her words hiding Mr. Strickler's sudden coughing fit. "Are you ok? Did you burn your tongue? I warned you it was fresh off the stove. Let me get you a glass of ice water."

I walk over and pat his arm, looking him straight in the eye as I reveal the hidden truth about my mother's culinary skills. "Don't eat or drink anything she makes unless it's literally just water. She might save lives at work but one bite of her cooking can kill ten elephants."

We both look back to check on her, seeing that she's just filling up the cup, he whispers back incredulously, "I only ever saw her put the tea bag in the water, how have you lived up until this point?"

"Cooking shows and many sacrifices of lunch box Twinkies." I whisper back quickly.

"You poor child." Mr. Strickler murmurs.

"Here you go Mr. Strickler." Mom smiles serenely, as she places a clear glass of ice water in front of him.

He looks back at me pleadingly, "Will I die?" clearly being portrayed in his eyes. I shake my head no and his shoulders seem to lose their tension. "Please, just call me Walt."

Mom, honest to god, blushes, "Oh, well. Then you have to call me Barbara."

If I was any other kid I'd be gagging at the sickeningly sweet display of terrible flirting but I'm just too happy that she's happy to indulge in my age groups knee-jerk reaction.

"But I didn't merely come to inform your mother that you won the part of Romeo Jim. I'm a touch concerned that you've been spreading yourself a bit thin, particularly in light of your new commitment to the Chess club." Mr. Strickler expresses, picking up his glass of water and subtly sniffing at it before hesitantly taking a sip.

"And I didn't even know you knew how to play chess." Mom tacks on, head resting on her cheek as she leans on the counter, "Chess, acting... it's like you have this entire secret life I never knew."

"You have no idea." I retort, forcing my smile to not move an inch. _But when you do you're probably never going to be happy again._

"Atlas, too carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and I'm afraid, like him, you're over-extending yourself." Mr. Strickler continues.

I can see her smile dropping a centimeter, "I can handle it."

His eyebrows scrunch and the smell of sour pity and lemon bar compassion fill the room, my mother shakes a little at the display of pheromones. "Just the other day you were falling asleep in my class. And I assure you it hasn't been the first. When he _is_ fully focused and awake he seems to enjoy my class, but lately his head has been up in the clouds or on his desk rather than learning from what I have to offer."

 _Why have you betrayed me!? Don't you see that you're ruining her smile? Ok, this has officially spiraled out of control._ My arm swings on it's own and I've just knocked over Mom's favorite vase. "Yeah bu-but-but now I am recharged and ready to go! ' _To be or not to be._ right?" I try, thankfull I do manage to catch the vase and safely deposit it back to it's rightful place.

But her frown only deepens, "Jim, that's Hamlet." _Shit_

Mom picks up Mr. Strickler's one-sip cup of tea and gestures to him, he jolts away from it like it was going to bite him (Honestly I'd take a bite over anything food or drink wise my mother has made). "Thanks, but I don't want to overstay my welcome."

He soothes his rejection of her tea with his phone number however, "Here's my phone number, if you ever wish to call Barbara, it was delightful to meet you. I'll see you in school tomorrow young Atlas."

And her cheeks go rosy as her eyes gain that beautiful blue again, "Maybe next time you come over you can stay for dinner."

His eyes grow alarmingly wide and I swiftly butt in, "You mean the dinner _I'll_ be cooking, you're still banned from my kitchen after you nearly put raw uncracked eggs in the microwave."

Mr. Strickler chuckles and mom's blushing for an entirely different reason. "Good night Mr. Strickler." I say quickly, pushing him out of the door and away from my mother who's turning the same shade as a tomato.

Closing the door behind me I turn to my favorite teacher with a shake of my head, "Just to clarify she was on call four days straight when she did that so I blame her lack of sleep rather than her inability to cook."

"It seems you both have sleeping problems, and although I gave your mother my card," He pulls out another and hands it to me, "I would like you to know I am also someone you can turn to if you need help."

I smile up at him, his scent is kind and smells like burgamot, "Thank you Mr. Strickler."

"Anytime Jim," He turns back around with a finger wagging, "oh, and if you are truly sleep deprived, come to me at the beginning of class and I'll send you to the nurse's office. She usually isn't in around that early so the cots are typically free."

I wave him good bye as he drives down the road. Once he's out of sight my happy mood cracks significantly. Going back inside Mom gives me a tiny smirk. "He really likes you."

I grin back at her and snort, "I don't think it was _Me_ that he was _delighted_ to meet. He was definitely interested in _you_ mom."

"Uh huh, whatever you say Jim." Mom chuckles, cheeks still that soft pink carnation color.

I sigh in defeat, tears brimming from my eyelids as I look into her eyes."Um... Mom. I have to tell you something. And it will _definitely_ make you mad but it's also something that you deserve to know."

Her face twists in worry, "Jim? Baby? What's wrong?"

And I can't stop the flood gates from opening, my voice so small and quiet I don't think she hears me. "Mom-Momma... I'm scared."

*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^

Once my eyes stop with the rare waterworks I tell her everything that's happened, from when I found that stupid amulet to coming home. But her face is torn between believing or worrying about head trauma.

"Jim, everything's gonna be okay baby. Momma will fix this." I shake my head and pull away, her voice reassuring but not in the _believing_ way.

I hold up the damn thing that's ruined my life as it glows brightly, the comfort it use to bring me feels chilly now, " **For The Glory Of Merlin, Daylight Is Mine To Command.** "

Her mouth is gaping open as the amulet's armor encompasses me, she tries to hug me but I hold up a hand and shake my head for her to desist, "Outside, I-I need to show you Blinky and Aaarrrgghh outside. But you can't scream and you have to promise to listen to them. They can answer your questions and Toby's Nana should be over here soon too."

*^**^*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

The conversation is rather silent on my mother's part, when she first saw them she startled and stepped in front of me. But once Blinkous introduced himself and Aaarrrgghh she became a silent sullen stone, only interrupting randomly for a small question or detail. Her face jaded and unreadable but no longer unbelieving.

Toby's Nana had taken her loopy pill before Toby had arrived home and had laid her down in a little red wagon to roll her there.

The walk back had everyone walking on eggshells around my mom. Her glare at the amulet was making my insides want to curl up and die. When she saw the cave's though. She did gasp in awe. I honestly don't think anyone could keep a straight face at their first sight of Troll Market.

"Whoa! Are you sure we're safe in here?" Mom murmurs, eyes flying from one giant glowing crystal to another.

Blinky nods his head with a proud grin plastered on his face, "Indeed. The incantation forbids entry to Heartstone Trollmarket by GummGumms such as Bular, for they are the most fearsome of trolls."

" 'GummGumms'?" Mom asks, eyebrow raised at the ridiculous name.

"-Scary ones." Aaarrrgghh supplies helpfully.

"Okay, wait, wait. So, Bular can't just break through that wall, right?"

"Into Heartstone Trollmarket?" Blinky asks incredulously, laughing at the absurdity, "No, Master Barbara. No GummGumm can without a Horngazel, and they are few and well guarded secrets." Aaarrrgghh holds up their own personal key to TrollMarket's backdoor. The soft glowing gold crystal pulsing with light.

"Wow."

Blinkous grins and announces with a flourish of hand gestures, gladly taking the reigns of tour guide introductions, "This is the world your son is bound to protect. This is Heartstone Trollmarket!" 

But after a few moments her wonder faded.

Toby's Nana twitched in her sleep, sat up straight, yelled "the cat's eating the fridge again", and fell right back into her whistling snoring cycle. "As much as I need a tour and as pretty as it might all be, right now I think Toby's Nana needs to be in a bed and not a wagon right now." Mom stated, hands on hips in with _THE_ most intimidating face I've ever seen.

Blinkous twiddles with his thumbs and gulps, "Ah yes-yes. Down the street to your right and 6 doors down is where you will currently be taking up residence Master Barbara. Unfortunately Master Jim and Master Toby still need to finish their conversation with Vendel from earlier. He plans on having a private conversation with you and Toby's Nana."

Toby give Blinkous two thumbs up. Toby compliments, "Picking up names pretty quick now Blinky."

"I should think so, it is embarrassing to be the most fluent English speaking troll in TrollMarket and to not be able to pronounce a name after the third try." Blinky responds back with a small smile.

"Fine, but if anything happens to my boy, surgically removing every single fucking beady eye in your skull with rusty tweezers will be the most pleasant thing I will be performing on your body."

My eyes couldn't have gone any wider at that, Mom just cussed. The woman who I have never heard cuss in my entire life, not even when my dad outed himself as a douchebag. If blinky was nervous before, he was nearly pissing himself now.

"I-I assure you I will protect Master Jim with my life. Master Barabara, we will be back from Vendel's in but an hour or two." Blinky gulps, covering himself with one of Aaarrrgghh's arms.

"Jim's... dame... scary." Aaarrrgghh whispers as quietly as he can. And mom actually smirks before hauling Toby's Nana away.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^

However, the tour seemed to accidentally have continued with me and Toby anyway. Blinky kept pointing at different stalls and taverns and rocks. Everything here seemed to have a story or two attached to it that Blinky somehow knew from first hand. The fact that cats are a delicacy to trolls coincided with the missing pet cat outbreaks Arcadia had been having lately.

But I'm soon distracted by scurrying and the sound of little foot steps as something brushes against my leg, resulting in me looking down. There's a little _gnome_? It looks up at me imploringly, this thing has got the puppy eyes down to a science.

"Oh, hey, little guy! That's a cute pointy hat." I compliment, I bend down and offer a finger, it sniffs it in interest.

"And pointy teeth! Look out! Get away!" Toby screeches as a gnome tries biting his nose off. I jerk my hand back but the gnome is already scrambling up my arm as I try to shake it off. When I try to swat it off it just ducks and weaves it's way to my shoulder.

"Get out of here! Vile vermin! Be gone!" Blinky yells trying to stomp the one that Toby had thrown off of him.

_**pu**_ **uuu _u-uuuu_ uh-u _ur_**

I was not expecting _THAT_. It starts snuggling against my neck and running it's little fingers through my hair. Everyone seems to have turned into a collective of statues as the ministration continues. Even the gnomes antagonizing Toby stop, more gnomes seem to shyly come out of the woodwork, crooning softly and beginning to climb on me.

"Um... what's going on?" I squeak out in terror, as about twenty more of these terrifying garden ornaments are attaching themselves to my shirt.

Aaarrrgghh slowly wades through the gnomes towards me, "Gnomes act strange." He lifts up a finger to try and push a gnome off.

**GRAuAAaAH-grrRRrRRrau**

"Did a gnome just **growl** at _Aaarrrgghh?_ " Blinky whispers, an unbelieving huff of air escapes his lip-less mouth.

"Wh-why are they doing this?" I ask, the floor no longer visible seeing as a sea of gnomes has accumulated.

"Gnomes are vermin. Pickpockets, scum of the earth! We only tolerate them for their grooming services." Blinky replies, eyes squinting at me in curiosity.

"Grooming? What kind of grooming can something with piranha teeth do?" Toby's incredulous tone worms it's way into his already whiny voice.

"They eat the parasites on the larger trolls. But even then they're likely to bite the dickens out of them, they rarely clean an alpha because their sense of smell is even stronger than a troll's. Aaarrrgghh doesn't usually have that problem, likely because of his dynamic." Blinky explains, eyebrows scrunching up in confusion, "But gnomes don't take to whelps with no scents very well either..."

My eyes widen at the implication, "No, there's no way. I'm unpresented and I've got Alpha pheromones on me. There's NO WAY!!" I'm panicking now and the gnomes seem to sense it, crawling off while continuing their gentle cuuing. Now I've got a little circle of space to myself but still. _THERE'S GOT TO BE ANOTHER EXPLANATION!_

************Draal*************

I shift unpleasantly in Vendel's cataract conflicted gaze, "So, you just _happened_ to be by the entrance Draal?"

Gulping as the interrogation truly begins, sighing as he fixes me with that all-seeing glare. I could never really lie to him, he essentially raised me after all. "Yes, I-I overheard Blinkous and Aaarrrgghh in the tavern yesterday. I followed them to the bridge when they left today but was not stupid enough to follow them out. I instead waited for them to return, and if they did not come back in an hour or two I was going to report them back to you."

Vendel shakes his head, "I understand your judgement. After finding out your father was felled you did not wish to see anyone else suffer from such a fate. That is admirable Draal. You are not in trouble, if you had not been in the right place at the right time then another tragedy would have occurred. But I do not like this Draal... for a human to be chosen is unheard of, but a human _whelp_? I shutter to think of our futures in such hands, but there is no denying that the boy is now in peril. Even if his claims are false, which I highly doubt since, loath as I am to speak it, Blinkous is a credible source. Bular is after those two, humans. And now we are inviting two more into our midst. The one boy that you undoubtedly saved seems unusual though Draal... I don't know what it is but I can sense it-"

Baghelda struts into the room with an annoying cry, I swear this woman has got to be the most dramatic troll to have lived. "Vendel! Something strange- the human...an-and there's so many GNOMES!"

"Yes, yes we'll both go and investigate what trouble Blinkous has dragged out now, Baghelda." Vendel assures, rubbing his forehead as another migraine seems to be ailing the old goat. "Come along Draal. Let's see what has befallen our human guests now."

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*

Never in my long life have I seen so many pointy little heads underfoot, at some point I had to help Vendel onto a roof to get to the source and even then there were a few of the damned creatures I had to kick off and into the _cuuing_? teeming red masses below. Right as we both came to the source of it my nostrils flared.

There, right in the middle of the ocean of gnomes, was a four foot circle. And what might you guess was curled up in it clutching itself like a terrified little lamb silently bawling it's eyes out? Our _mightiest_ , our _savior_ , our _TrollHunter whelp_. Obviously this isn't the strangest thing to happen in TrollMarket, nothing can beat that time someone swapped Vendel's staff for a toilet plunger, but it's pretty damn close.

But as my nose finally registered the smell I understood in dawning horror. And _oh_ the **horror** of it. No longer was the human boy unpresented, no longer was he merely a whelp.

The current TrollHunter named Jim... is an omega. And not just any omega...

He is my **mate**.


End file.
